I've found truth in both these aphorisms:
1. Creative insight is more about noticing and cultivating expansive mental states than it is about #hustleporn. Take a walk.
2. Screw that: butt. in. chair. "Stop not writing," per
Twitter, how do you approach this conflict?
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the actually genesis of creativity has nothing to do with both but accidentally aligns in ways that make people thing its correlated. maybe its really based on getting an even number of hours of sleep the preceding night?
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Still one of my favorite posts: google.com/amp/ryanhoover There's a time to explore, and a time to execute. God grant me the wisdom to know the difference
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Nice post; thank you! I also struggle with explore/exploit tradeoffs… but something about the tension I feel in these statements isn't captured by that dichotomy. For instance: sometimes when I need to explore, "butt in chair" really does help!
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Fwiw I've noticed similar issues with engineering principles.
My key takeaway is: advice is highly contextual to the listener. Some people need to hear "just go left", and others "just go right", in order to get them to the same ideal middle 🤔
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(maybe that's obvious and I'm taking this too literally, and you're more looking for techniques that help maintain this specific balance 😅)
I find agenda-free walks super generative (solo or w/ friends). When I have thoughts + intuition I like, I block out the world w/ headphones and hand write.
Feels like writing generates through clearer thinking while walking generates through looser free association. I need both
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Taking a walk does no good unless my butt has been in the chair for a while. But if I stay in the chair for too long without taking a walk, I start to lose focus.
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My algorithm is to try the other when one is not working.
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You're basically facing:
"1. Breathe in
2. Breathe out
Choose."
Instead, maybe they're not independent aphorisms but one single one - they are part of each other.
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Whoa, what an outstanding response. That's such a perfect and productive metaphor.