Crankiness can help get your creative juices flowing, finds a study from Rice University. Creativity is highest when you alternate between positive and negative moods because the highs and lows complement each other. When you’re dissatisfied, you solve problems by thinking from the bottom up, beginning with details and building up to bigger concepts. When you’re content, you think from the top down, a looser approach that sparks wilder ideas. The combination can equal creative genius. One caveat: “Regardless of mood, you must have supportive surroundings,” says Jennifer George, Ph.D., study coauthor. — Tammy Tibbetts