Lost Keys, Brilliant Mind: Why Forgetting Might Mean You're Creative

I know this has happened to you, it happens to me all the time.

You’re halfway out the door with coffee in hand, your shoes are untied, and you’re running late because you accidentally turned your alarm off and didn’t set another. Your phone is somehow not in your pocket, and your keys are probably in the fridge. Again.

And while the world (and my husband) calls you scattered, chaotic, and spacey…science now says something different: you might just be brilliant (knew it!!).

Psychologists studying mind-wandering and creative cognition (which is a thing in case you didn’t know that like me) have found that people who lose track of small details often have brains running multiple creative simulations at once. So, it’s not that you’re distracted, it’s that your brain is busy building, connecting, and imagining a ton of other things while you’re supposed to be remembering where you put your keys.

A 2012 study in Psychological Science found that sometimes periods of distraction actually boost creative problem-solving. Another review in Psychological Bulletin confirmed that when the mind drifts, ideas incubate.

So maybe losing your keys isn’t a character flaw, it’s just the side effect of a brilliant mind that’s already halfway to its next invention or billion dollar idea.

Basically, researchers gathered some people and measured how often they misplacing items, divergent thinking ability (the capacity to generate brand new ideas), as well as some cognitive flexibility and problem-solving. Aka they checked in on how much stuff people misplaced then gave them some tests to see how creative they were.

They found that forgetful individuals scored higher in creative thinking tests, their brains showing more non-linear associations, and that they were more likely to take creative risks and solve open-ended problems.

So, the very same mind that can’t remember where it put its AirPods…is the same mind that can imagine new worlds, new recipes, and new inventions that just might change the world.

The Clutter Isn’t Chaos, it’s Capacity.

Here’s the poetic part that makes me happy (mostly because I’m forgetful), creative minds aren’t empty, they’re overflowing.

And when the brain is dancing between all the known possibilities and some of them that it made up and could never happen in a billion years, it sometimes drops a few marbles on the floor. Oops.

And that doesn’t happen because it’s broken, it’s just happening because it’s too busy composing symphonies of thought to even wonder where it put the cap to the water bottle last night.

Einstein forgot to wear socks, and he also developed the theory of relativity. I’m not saying there’s a direct correlation or anything, but I also sometimes forget my socks at home.

Mozart scribbled masterpieces on napkins, but lost sheet music constantly. Picasso rarely remembered dates (same, but I think that’s more because dates don’t seem important when Google calendar is there to send me 30 minute warnings before an event). Steve Jobs also very famously never remembered where he parked (ask my husband how bad I am at this).
Also, I’m not saying I’m about to make some big discovery that changes all of mankind, but I’m also not not saying it.

Anyway, the pattern isn’t new. A mind that wanders a lot is also the mind that wonders. It just sometimes leaves breadcrumbs behind while chasing something bigger.

The Science Behind the Scatter

So what’s going on up there in those peoples’ brains?

Creative people tend to have higher levels of associative memory, more activity in the default mode network (the brain’s daydreaming circuit), and a greater tendency toward mental simulation.

This means you might be planning dinner while brushing your teeth, or rewriting a conversation in your head while walking your cute little dog, or sketching your next big idea…instead of remembering where you put that blasted remote for the television for the tenth time this week.

It’s not a flaw, it’s just parallel processing. And sometimes, parallel paths don’t sync up perfectly and you walk right into the river. Okay, my metaphor went too far, but you know what I mean.

If you’re highly creative, you might walk into rooms and forget why, double-book yourself, forget birthdays, but remember dreams, lose items, but never lose passion, drop your keys, but never drop your vision.

You’re not messy, you’re mentally multidimensional, and that’s a beautiful thing to be.

Is There a Way to Support the Creative Brain?

Yes, of course. If your mind runs like a little river, you can still build little bridges.

Here’s what helps me, sticky note systems for visible reminders (I currently am looking at 6 different index cards on my desk with things written on them so I don’t forget), voice memos for random ideas on the go (make sure to leave yourself enough context because one or two words don’t mean anything to you in hindsight), a smart key tracker like this one that I use that attaches to your phone or wallet, and some non-linear planners that let you dream and structure.

Structure isn’t your enemy, it’s your safety net, and one your poor brain might thank you for in the future. It lets the creative mind roam without unraveling or without you getting frustrated with yourself.

We live in an absolutely productivity-obsessed world, sadly enough for us. And it’s one that prizes punctuality, precision, and planning. While those things totally matter (showing up on time to your job is kinda a big deal)…they are also not the only measures of intelligence, or value, or someones’ potential.

Some of the most world-changing humans were forgetful, abstract, and super peculiar. That’s not a liability you should be ashamed of, that’s an ecosystem of genius.

You may misplace your phone, but you can find connections no one else sees. You may forget an appointment, but you’ll remember a quote that changes someone’s day.

Creativity isn’t about getting everything right in my opinion, it’s about seeing what others miss.

The Things We Lose Lead Us to What We Find

Maybe I’m overly romantic, but I believe the phone will turn up eventually, and the keys will be in yesterday’s jacket.

But in the meantime, you imagined something or found a new idea in the middle of a moment that wasn't meant for it.

I feel like that’s the point of life we often forget about, not remembering everything…but allowing yourself to be moved by what matters most. And sometimes that idea or daydream leads us down roads we never expected to find ourselves on, and that’s also a little magical.

Disclaimer that ChatGPT wrote for me after I had some people reaching out: This article covers emerging research in psychology. The findings are not universally accepted and should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health advice. Also, here are a list of sources you might want to explore if you want to check out some more reading on the subject:

Baird, J., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. S., Kam, J. W. Y., & Franklin, M. S. (2012). Inspired by distraction: Mind wandering facilitates creative incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117–1122.

Schacter, D. L. (2021). The seven sins of memory: An update. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1177–1194.

Sio, U. N., & Ormerod, T. C. (2009). Does incubation enhance problem solving? A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(1), 94–120.

Ward, T. B. (2007). Creative cognition as a window on creativity. Methods, 42(1), 28–37.

Wiley. (n.d.). Journal of Creative Behavior. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21626057

Lost Keys, Brilliant Mind: Why Forgetting Might Mean You're Creative

The Clutter Isn’t Chaos, it’s Capacity.

The Science Behind the Scatter

Is There a Way to Support the Creative Brain?

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