Thread by @kadavy

How to do your best thinking when you're not thinking.

(a thread)

As I mentioned in a previous tweet storm, there are four stages to creativity: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, Verification.

https://twitter.com/kadavy/status/1321085311036907522

Think of Incubation as your "Passive Genius." It works while you do other things. It even works while you sleep.

Folk wisdom knows if you have a tough decision you should "sleep on it," but how often do we intentionally use this magic to our advantage?

There are three main things your Passive Genius does for you:

1. Memory consolidation
2. Fixation forgetting
3. Subconscious processing (controversial)

Let's break those down...

Imagine I give you some information:

- Tom is taller than Jill
- Jill is taller than Jerry

Then you take a nap...

When you woke up, you'd magically know more about this information.

If I asked: Is Tom taller than Jerry? you would answer faster.

I didn't tell you Tom is taller than Jerry. It's implied. Tom is taller than Jill – and Jill is taller than Jerry.

This is "relational memory"...

Relational memory is critical to solving creative problems.

If you're:
-designing a useable interface
-writing a suspenseful mystery novel
-choreographing a dance

You make trade-offs & decide what to include or keep out. You need a deep understanding of the source material.

This is probably why when Meredith Monk choreographs and composes a performance, she draws charts.

It helps her process how the elements of the piece interact. (h/t @masoncurrey)

Your “Passive Genius” improves relational memory while you sleep.

Remember that Preparation comes before Incubation which comes before Illumination.

Before you can have your "aha" moment, you need the contours of the problem space in your mind. Relational memory helps.

The second way your Passive Genius helps you solve problems is through "fixation forgetting."

Let's try a benchmark creativity test called a Remote Associates Test.

Can you think of one word that goes with each of these three words?:

-cream
-skate
-water

The answer...

...The answer is "ice." Ice cream, ice skate, ice water.

Let's try a tougher one:
-pine
-crab
-sauce.

I'll reveal the answer a couple tweets from now, but let's look at how you might solve that problem...

You start by thinking of words that go with "pine."

The first word you think of is "tree."

You test "tree" with the other words. Would "crabtree" count?

Next, you try "tree sauce." That doesn't work. "Tree" is a dead-end.

The answer is...

...The answer is "apple."

-pineapple
-crab apple
-applesauce

It seems obvious! Why was it so hard?...

...Why was it so hard?

“Tree” is strongly associated with “pine”. So strongly that once you thought of tree, you couldn’t think of other words that go with pine.

With so many potential connections in the problem space, you got blocked. You were fixated on the wrong connection.

If you had had time away from the problem, you would have had a better chance of solving it.

Because you would have forgotten the "bad idea" of "tree."

This is called fixation forgetting. It's the 2nd way your Passive Genius does your best thinking when you're not thinking.

The third way your Passive Genius may think for your is through subconscious processing.

Even when you aren't actively thinking, there's a lot of brain activity going on. This is called the "default mode network."

This FMRI shows brain activity in a resting brain...

Research *suggests* your subconscious mind actually solves problems for you.

I believe it, but I default to @JohnKounios on the science. According to John, the research isn't conclusive.

It's hard to isolate subconscious processing as a cause of problem solving.

A fourth (bonus!) way your Passive Genius solves problems for you is when you're actively thinking about things while doing other things.

Such as in the shower or while doing chores.

Now, here’s one way I use Passive Genius to make work easier...

When I write show notes for a podcast interview, I need to know what the conversation was *about*.

This is harder than it sounds. Seth Godin has just blown my mind for an hour, and now I need to pull out the lessons.

I used to hate this task.

I'd sit at my computer and listen to the episode while taking notes. I'd have to re-listen to parts over and over.

It was a real slog.

Now, I load the raw audio file into @Overcast, and listen to it while I do low-load tasks – such as showering, doing dishes, or walking.

@nireyal calls this "multichannel multitasking."

This part is counterintuitive: I listen to the audio three different times.

1st time, at 1x speed: I pay no attention, take no notes.

2nd time, at 2x speed: If something pops out, I stop what I'm doing & take a note.

3rd time, at 3x speed. Is there's anything I missed?

These listens are spaced out by a day or more. That gives my Passive Genius time to work on it while I do other things.

By the time I write the intro, most of the work is done – and I did it while doing other things!

My Passive Genius identified the sound patterns so I could listen faster, and the good ideas stuck with me while I forgot the rest.

Folk wisdom tells us to "sleep on it" or to "take a walk." But how often do we make Incubation a deliberate part of problem solving?

Use your Passive Genius. You'll do better work, and it will be easier.

If you want to know more about how to use the power of incubation to move your projects forward, I have a book for that. Over here 👇🏻👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾👇🏿
amazon.com/dp/B08DQGLPSN?…