Ask HN: Does being practical act as a hinderance to one’s imagination?
What you're looking for is something called "Lateral Thinking" [1].  Using one's prefrontal cortex "silences" their inner genius and prevents "Ah ha!" moments.  This is why people get breakthrough ideas in the shower, going to the bathroom, or driving.  The "step-by-step" executive planning part of the brain is not engaged in these moments.John Cleese has given talks throughout the years about how to be creative, and they're very good. [2]The Programmer's Stone is also a good source of information about this topic.  Instead of "lateral thinking", the authors refer to "mapping" and "packing".  Packing is when you're in "step-by-step" mode.  When programmers refer to "being in the flow", they're probably referring to the state of mapping or lateral thinking. [3][1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_thinking[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y70nbDJI5Uk[3] http://programmersstone.com/