A Case for Time
You need time to learn about the domain and for the incubation phase — and time is a very precious commodity. In a normal life there are countless things competing for your time: friends, work, leisure, TV, surfing the net, etc. Having time just to let the knowledge stew, letting new ideas emerge, is difficult to find. Even standing around thinking is regarded critically (unless you are a smoker) and if you answer the question “What are you doing?” with “Nothing.” you will find yourself doing a lot (of talking) soon.
How much time does it take?
Getting to know a domain so that the own work becomes recognized by the field as creative (e.g. in art or science) will take a long time. How much depends on the structure of the field (e.g. well-structured fields like mathematics), the individual characteristics (e.g. intelligence, interest) and the amount of time one invests each day. The following graph illustrates the last point. Simon and Chase (1977) determined that 10.000 hours are necessary to reach expertise in chess. How long does it take to become an expert depending on the number of hours a day one invests in the subject?
If you invest one hour each day, you will be there in 27,4 years, if you invest two hours it will take 13,69 years, and so on. A normal work day of seven hours (without taking a single day or weekend off) will still take you 3,91 years to reach expertise (in chess).
This illustration is simplified in a number of ways: you or your domain might not require that many hours (but more), you can have good ideas during the time you get acquainted with the domain, and it is not the mere “doing the hours” that will lead to expertise but the work you do in them. But it shows that it will take considerable time and constant work to reach proficiency.
Being creative in a way that sets you apart from the daily creativity will take a lot of work and consequently time. It will not happen over night. Be sure to understand this and consider it carefully. And first you have to consider how you get the time for it.
Make time & Defend it
We can dream about having more time or doing things when we have the time — only that this time will remain a dream. Most people do not even manage to realize the things they dream they will do when they are retired, they just stretch their normal activities to occupy the whole day. Unless you make a conscious effort to make time for your projects you will never have it. And unless you fight hard to defend this time slow, you will never keep it.
Time is precious, no one will give it to you
To be creative, you have to make time and defend it. Against people who think they have the right to your time, even against other activities that bring more short time fun.
The more success, the harder the battle
The more successful you are, the less time you have. You will have other people who think they have a right on your time. Train to defend the time you need for your creative projects early on. Make no exceptions even if it is more fun to talk with others then to work yourself through new studies or developments. Other will probably not understand your behavior, especially if you use the time for incubation and you are obviously “not doing anything with it”.
A Short Story about using time
In March 2008 I drove home after a day at work and thought about renting two DVDs. I decided to return home first to finish some work left-overs before driving to the video store. After the work was done, I played around with iPhoto and started making a photo album with my best photos. I lost track of time and when I finally went to bed I had a 100 pages photo album in portfolio style. It was not only a mere collection of my best photos but it also showed me that my first year of photography was not a waste of time because some of the photos were actually very good (field: me). It was highly motivating (and still is, when I look at the album).
On that evening I had the choice between either relaxing in front of the TV with two movies or doing something creative. I decided to do something creative (which creating a portfolio is beyond the auto-flow function).
Even if this was not planned the message is clear:
Think about how you use your time and what you will have to show for at the end of the day.
How to tackle it in time
Keep the following recommendations in mind you want to be creative in a domain within reasonable time.
Combine your creativity with your work
Some people are in the happy position that they can work creatively. Others have routine jobs that leaves them with enough time and mental resources to think about their projects, write down ideas and sketch them out in their mind. Others find time during their work to squeeze in creative activities. For example, in my home town a postal worker with a love of photography always takes his camera with him when he delivers the letters. If he spots an interesting motif, he simply stops his bike and spend a few minutes shooting pictures. Even if his job is not creative but highly determined (delivering the letters to the correct address) he has found a way to be creative during his work.
Consider your domain carefully
Getting to know a domain is a long term project that will take a lot of time. Since it will take a huge amount of time (and energy, and resources) consider carefully if you really want to invest this much effort in a domain (see page 18 and page 99ff).
Do you really want to spend the next four years working continuously in this domain?
Work regularly
Unless you work regularly (e.g. two hours every day) it will take forever (literally a lifetime) to become proficient.
Structure your learning
Giving the amount of information/techniques you have to learn, structure your learning. Make an outline of the domain you want to know, from global to specific, when you know a little about the domain. This will show you where you stand.
Do
Knowledge is important but too much learning can stifle your creativity. You never know enough. You can read forever about how you can do something or what was done, without ever doing something. From time to time engage in actual creativity — it will give you experience, grounds your knowledge to reality and keep your motivation.
“Do you really need that stone, Sisyphus?”
See also “A case for time (Part II)” in chapter 6 (page 313) for further ways to make more time.
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