Power of Wandering
Exploring the Intricacies of Creative Exploration, Self-Discovery, and Innovative Thinking
“All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
―J.R.R. Tolkien
I have a multitude of topics I want to write about, and as I delve into one, I often find myself exploring related ideas on the periphery, leading me down intricate paths that resemble a complex maze. Today, I dedicated four hours to writing about tools, both mental and physical, shifting my focus to the concept of wandering.
Over the past year, I began meditating to calm my extremely busy mind. I've noticed a similarly potent trait in wandering, spending ten minutes letting my mind explore various paths around an idea. I see this method as akin to sculpting ideas from multiple angles, introducing different surfaces and textures for innovative solutions, which is integral to my creative process.
For me, the act of creation serves as an avenue for wandering and exploration - a journey unveiling new perspectives and encouraging experimentation with unfamiliar concepts. I deliberately notice moments of stagnation, taking breaks to reset my mind. Wandering can be a means for individuals to delve deeper into discovery and uncover areas for development.
Recently, a captivating video recounted Shuji Nakamura's discovery of the blue LED. Nakamura's unconventional approach—trusting instincts, exploring uncharted and known-to-be-failed territories, asking questions for deeper understanding, and embracing unexpected discoveries—highlighted his adaptable resilience and willingness to view failures as integral to the creative journey while finding new approaches for solutions. Solutions often come from a series of small successes that add up.
Nakamura's adaptability serves as a reminder that wandering involves facing unforeseen challenges, enhancing adaptability, and empowering individuals to respond creatively to evolving circumstances. Embracing uncertainty and navigating ambiguity during creative exploration fosters resilience, enabling individuals to rebound from setbacks and view challenges as opportunities for personal and creative growth.
The freedom to create time for wandering without constraints—Nakamura constantly disregarded his employer's demands to stop his studies—resulted not only in an innovative solution but also emphasized the joy of exploration derived from pushing boundaries.
I feel like opportunities like this open up when you don't know what you are doing, like using new technologies/tools. I have been experimenting with AI, and while I put my judgments aside, I am starting to find some amazing results by finding ways to combine techniques, technologies, and discovering new interesting processes. I will start to show glimpses of new work I have been making over the past 5 months around Japanese mythology on my socials but wanted to give you a sneak peek.
Links: Cina Associates, Cina Art, Public Type
I too have been needing to use some AI generators for work and am not certain what to think about it. The results can be pretty spectacular, but then you want a simple change and it simply cannot do it. It’s great when it hallucinates, but when it’s offering up what it thinks I want, then it’s not nearly as interesting to me. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.