Infinite Bodies, Infinite Ideas: Why Movement Fuels Creativity in the Age of AI
- laura3736
- Nov 27
- 3 min read
I recently stepped into Wayne McGregor: Infinite Bodies at the Southbank in London - an exhibition that felt like walking into someone’s mind at the very moment ideas are forming. It was a space alive with experimentation, motion, and a rare invitation to think with the whole body, not just the brain. It's fair to say: I absolutely loved it.
In a world obsessed with optimisation, automation, and AI, this show was a reminder of something essential: creativity is a full-body act.
We innovate not only with our thoughts but with our muscles, instincts, breath, and presence. Movement isn’t separate from thinking; it fuels it.
And in this new era of machine intelligence, the most powerful leaders, founders, and creators will be the ones who stay deeply connected to their human intelligence - the bold, intuitive, right-brained kind that cannot be automated (at least for now anyway).
The Body Thinks Before the Brain Does
At the exhibition, I opened a book to an essay by neuroscientist Anil Seth: The Embodied Brain. He begins with a strange, surreal creature - the sea squirt - which eats its own brain once it finds the perfect place to live and no longer needs to move.
The message? Thank your lucky stars you're not a sea squirt for starters. But, also: Brains evolved for movement.
Brains are often reduced to meat-based computers, and the body to a fleshy robot useful for transporting the brain from one meeting to another...brains are not for doing email or updating spreadsheets.
We think because we move. We understand the world through our bodies. We generate ideas by interacting with the environment, not by staying still. The brain is physically attached to the body - primarily through the brainstem connecting to the spinal cord, and through a vast network of nerves and neurotransmitters, which is critical for both physical movement and creative thinking
This aligns with research showing that:
Walking increases creativity by up to 60%.
Physical expression improves problem-solving.
Movement helps us reach deeper, less linear kinds of insight.
The right hemisphere (the home of imagination and pattern-spotting) becomes more active when the body is engaged.
So when we sit rigidly at desks, staring at screens for hours, we’re working against our biology.
Our creativity slows, and our inspiration fades. We lose the capacity for the leap - for the bold, unusual idea that no machine can currently replicate.
What This Means for Business, Founders, and the Future of AI
Today, many leaders rely heavily on tools, dashboards, automation, and AI, all of which are incredibly useful, but the best use of AI is to accelerate thinking and to extend thinking, not to become lazy and rely on AI to originate the spark.
That is still human territory. And the businesses that will stand out, the ones that are distinctive, will be the ones whose leaders:
Step away from the screen to join new dots
Are open to multi-sensory experiences to solve complex problems
Allow the right brain to surface ideas before the left brain critiques them
Blend AI with human imagination rather than outsourcing imagination entirely
Movement as a Strategic Tool
I strongly believe that creativity is a competitive advantage for business leaders. Here are some practical ways to bring more creative thinking into your business:
1. Walk before you write.
Every new idea, pitch, or deck starts with a 10-minute walk.
2. Host movement-based ideation sessions.
Stand. Pace. Map ideas on walls. Creativity rises when the body joins in.
3. Swap stillness for stimulus.
Visit exhibitions, performances, architecture, or unexpected environments. Your brain loves novelty.
4. Let AI be the amplifier, not the author.
Use AI to expand, speed, and refine, but begin with your own embodied intuition.
5. Build “creative oxygen” into your week.
Time where the goal is not about productivity but space to think, contemplate and allow new ideas to form.
Infinite bodies. Infinite possibilities
At the exhibition, surrounded by yellow panels filled with McGregor’s ideas, I felt something I often tell clients:
Creativity is not found in thinking harder. It’s found in thinking differently.
And the great news is, your brain does it for you if you just allow yourself the space and time to let your mind and body connect. So, if you happen to be in London, go and have a wander into this kinetic wonderland - I promise it will be worth it.
INFINITE BODIES, WAYNE MCGREGOR: SOMERSET HOUSE - UNTIL FEB 2026
Comments