We all know, the more we read, the better we can build up and expand our knowledge. What to read and what not to read can be our choice, need and preference. However, almost all the Management and Personality Development trainers, baring a few small numbers of them, recommend not to read fiction much as they are imaginary. On the contrary, quite often fictions too represent the real world.
According to me, fictions are also a reflection of real-life but through an imaginary format. Imaginary characters are brought in not only to make it attractive but also to convey some great lessons of real life. Like non-fiction, fiction-reading can provide many of those same self-improvement benefits.
Fiction is a uniquely powerful way to understand others, tap into creativity and exercise your brain. Fiction ignites the mind, allows the readers to think out-of-the-box. It helps the readers to put themselves in the shoes of others and grow their capacity for empathy. Factions also improve our Emotional Intelligence. They also provide mental stimulation, boost creativity and help in developing our memory.
All these important functions, which I discussed so far, a fiction does in a much better way than its contrasting counterpart non-fiction.
Reading non-fiction helps us practice imagination by letting the words describe a certain image while the reader manipulates the picture in the mind. Multiple studies have shown that imagining stories helps activate the regions of your brain responsible for better understanding others and seeing the world from a new perspective.
Hence, the one-word answer to the title question, “can fiction reading improve our creativity?” is ‘YES’. We shall read fiction as well, not only for enjoyment but also be open to new ideas, have an understanding of new things and stimulate our mind.