Expressing Yourself Through Science Creativity

Inside:  Science creativity is a great way to express yourself and learn to live in the moment.  Science and creativity can go hand in hand. There are many ways to express yourself creatively in science.

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Science creativity is essential to achieve success in any field of science.

“Science is the art of the solvable.” ~ Peter Medawar

Scientists need to be creative.  Not all questions are solvable or are solvable by means available at the time.  Creative thinking allows scientists to figure out what questions can be solved through scientific investigation.  Creativity is required, then, to find solutions to those questions.

The natural world is complex.  Big problems like climate change can’t be solved directly.  Creative thinkers can break down these big problems into smaller tasks that can be solved.  And solving the little parts of the problem leads to a solution for the whole problem.

[bctt tweet=”Logical thinking is always part of creative thinking.” username=”TeresaCoppens”]

Creatives Use the Scientific Method

Most people consider the act of science and applying the scientific method more analytical than creative.  But logical thinking is an important part of the creative process.  Creatives look at the world and ask, what if? What if I add sand to my paint?  Next comes logically thinking through the consequences of that action.  Will the paint dry?  Will it adhere well to the paper?  How will I apply it to the paper….will a brush work?  Will it work well with water based paint or should I use oil paints?  Next, the artist will experiment with her ideas.  Guess what, she is using the scientific method when trying out her new creative process.

Learning to express yourself through science creativity is a great way to learn to live more in the moment than in the past or future. It’s difficult to focus on anything but the present when your brain is actively involved in creating, and this is one of the ways you can live a healthier, more balanced, more fulfilling life overall.  Your journal adventure can definitely benefit from learning to tap into your inner creative being.  As a budding scientist, tapping into your creativity will make you a better scientist in the long run.

[bctt tweet=”Creative scientists are able to imagine many ways to find an answer to a question.” username=”TeresaCoppens”]

Expressing Yourself through Science Creativity

There are a so many ways to begin expressing yourself through science creativity. Here, we’ll discuss a few of them, but this list is by no means exhaustive!

1. Look for beauty in everything around you.
2. Learn to communicate effectively
3. Find or make a creative science space for yourself.
4. Take a step in a creative direction by deciding on a form your creativity will take.
5. Give yourself time to practice science creativity every day.
6. Unfocus your mind.

Look for beauty of science in everything around you.

A forest full of trees holds beauty just like a city street lit up at night does. Beauty is subjective, and you may find that the things you find beautiful, someone else does not. That’s okay! The point of the exercise is to hone your ability to look for and find beauty in all places – beauty that will inspire your creativity!  Bring your science journal with you everywhere you go.

Look at the dandelion seeds below.  Draw a picture of them.

Take note of the patterns in the seeds.

Look how the water droplets stick to them.

You might ask questions from your drawing.  How do those droplets ‘stick’ to the seed?  Do all seeds have the same number of parts.  Notice the hairs on each seed.  How are they designed to help the seed travel in the wind?

Draw pictures of the beauty in nature.  Take pictures of the beauty in nature.  Ask questions about form and function.  How do the parts work together?

Learn to communicate science effectively.

You will have difficulty expressing yourself if you can’t communicate what you’re feeling and thinking. Learning to communicate gives you the power to express yourself with words. It allows you the freedom to capture and relate the ideas you have when inspiration occurs. There is no expression without communication of some kind.  Most science jobs require that you write reports that describe your findings.  Science journaling allows you to practice that skill of communicating your ideas effectively.

Find or make a creative science space for yourself.

It could be a room in your home that you dedicate to expressing your creativity. Maybe it is an art studio away from home, or a garden where you feel safe and unencumbered. Wherever you choose, when you get there, you should feel excited to begin creating.  A space to design and do science…experiments, demonstrations…is essential.  Journal about your process.  Write your questions, sketch designs for how you’ll figure out the answer to those questions.  Take pictures of your process.  Draw diagrams.  But you need your own space to make it happen.

 

Take a step in a creative direction by deciding on a form your science creativity will take.

This never has to be set in stone, and this will change as you evolve. Maybe right now, it is reading how others have done things, but later it might be drawing, woodworking, or cooking. If wildlife rehabilitation is a passion you might work on nesting boxes, or shelter structures for blue birds or bats.  If nutrition research is more your style, you might take your cooking skills and come up with natural, healthy recipes or health products.

Don’t limit yourself! Try things that interest you, and if you find them fulfilling, wonderful! If you don’t, simply move on to something else.  All your ideas can benefit from journaling.  Science is a process.  Keep a journal that keeps a record of your journey in that particular project.  Keep track of the designs for your birdhouse.  You’ll make modifications so add those to your journal.  Journaling is a perfect outlet for the scientific method.

Give yourself time to practice science creativity every day.

You won’t know if you really enjoy something unless you do it. Don’t let the fear of imperfection prevent you from beginning. And realize that starting something new is always a little scary. The key is in not allowing that fear to stop you from moving forward.  Scientists make mistakes.  But they learn from them.  They practice their craft of asking the right questions and developing an instinct to know what kinds of methods will work to find the answers.  Practice your science creativity and you will get better at solving all kinds of problems.

Unfocus Your Mind

For all creatives, whether in the fine arts, story writing or science, imagining the possibilities means using associative thinking.  In other words, you need to let your mind wander.  Lay on the grass and look at the clouds.  Let your mind travel where it wants.  When you let yourself go like this, you are more likely to see connections between unrelated ideas.

The best time to come to a solution to a complex, high-level problem is to go for a hike in the woods or do something totally unrelated and let your mind wander. — Robert DeHaan, cell biologist

Hopefully, these tips will get you moving in the right direction towards expressing yourself through creativity. Don’t let the fear stop you – just get started!  And remember, record your ideas in a journal.  Draw your ideas in your journal.  Keep track of those questions and thoughts and ideas.  Write down those books and articles you’ve read.  Record the things you want to see, the places you’d like to go.  Creativity is made more vibrant by your experiences.  So, your journals will be a record of your creative science journey.