7 surprising tricks from an Olympic gold medalist that will make you more creative

Focus, flexibility, and knowing when to take a pause can make creative hurdles feel like an easy game of hopscotch.

The 2024 Summer Olympics are here, baby. The swimmer Ana Marcela Cunha is hovering in the Seine River, ready to glide. The cyclist Tadej Pogačar is clipped into the pedals of his bike, poised to ride. And the runner Eliud Kipchoge is standing with the Eiffel Tower in the distance, primed to go. Moments before the starting gun fires, each athlete’s mind is on lock. Their surrounding competitors melt into a slurry of jerseys, brightly-colored and nothing more than go-juice for the champion’s mind.