Of Masters and Math

Of Masters and Math by Angie Powers

In her book, A Mind for Numbers, Barbara Oakley discusses how we learn, and though her book focuses on math, I think it’s pertinent to the whole process of creation. Apparently, we have two modes of thinking: focused and diffuse.

Focused thinking means going deep into a single topic.

Diffuse thinking means going wide and it allows you to see connections between unalike subjects.

It’s the difference between depth (focused) and breadth (diffuse).

Each has a defined purpose and process and we can’t do both at the same time.

So, if you’ve had that experience of working and working on a solution to your story, your painting or your song only to fail in the moment, know that while focus gives us access to depth of information, it doesn’t give us the breadth of information that diffuse information does.  We walk away, and it comes. Of course! She loved the dog, the turn of the brush should go this way, this is how the melody resolves. Because in stepping away from focused mode, diffuse mode can bring new, unrelated information to the challenge — and it will. Knowing and understanding that these two process exist, we can feed focus and externalize some of the diffuse’s job by creating activities, like Bowie’s cut ups (see the David Bowie blog). More importantly, though, the way we feed our focus is to explore the world around us in a different way–to seek out the unfamiliar, to dig into the uncomfortably challenging–so that we have something of use when we let our diffuse mind work.

Just for today, read that physics book you don’t quite understand. I bet by tomorrow you’ll understand it more. Go to that exhibit of an artist you’ve never heard of before or whose work you find challenging, and focus on trying to really understand how that artist did what they did and maybe why. Focus on this task, focus on learning. Then walk away. Let the new information or images or sounds saturate you. Immerse yourself if you can and walk away.

And when you sit down to do your own work, and find that you have done all you can with your focus, walk away, trusting that you have created a reservoir of new answers that will take your creativity beyond your greatest expectations.

Share your thoughts and comments below!

Story Makers Show: Check out this week’s podcast guest Susan Ito, former non-fiction editor at Literary Mama, now SF Grotto-ite, solo performer, writer, host of a yearly contemplative creative retreat at Santa Sabina and more, talks about the prohibitions against mothers leaving their children for extended writing retreats, the challenges and process of fielding submissions, time management, juggling projects, navigating Medium. Check it out at http://StoryMakersShow.com or on iTunes or Stitcher!