Math and Creative Writing

[alanajoli]

Having read the post from Whedonesque written by Joss Whedon about how many people don't consider writing to be "work," fellow Browncoat Nitsan (aka Snackyette) wrote:

"I'm a mathematician, and what I do each day is in many ways similar to what a writer does. I go to my office and I sit, think, write some things down that other people haven't thought of yet (hopefully), think some more, read something to give me background or ideas, think some more, write some more, and then listen to someone else talk about what they're thinking about.

"Most people find it incomprehensible that I think about math and come up with new math for a living, kind of like making a living out of thinking about stories and coming up with new ones."

I've often compared musicians, theater folks, and visual artists to writers, but it had never before occurred to me to think of math as a creative profession. The idea enchanted me so much that I asked Nitsan if I could pass it along. It also makes me wonder what other professions I've taken for granted that are both work--and creative!

Comments

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

I have to suspect it's about validation in some way--but yeah, the computer techno-arts are definitely blurring the line. (And video game music! And interactive story telling! Some of the best creative stuff is going on in video games... Which, academically speaking, aren't even the same value as "fine arts.")

[amieroserotruck.livejournal.com]

Hey, not sure what you had in mind for the guest blogging, but maybe this is worth expanding.

While I don't play video games (I get WAY too addicted!) I love watching other people play them for the reasons you cited. There is a merge now gonig on between art and science that probably hasn't existed since DaVinci.

I probably would have gone into movie special effects had I graduated 10 years earlier. When I graduated in 1997, computer effects were taking over, and I despise programmign (I'm more hardware electronics), so I knew even if I got a job in robotics, wouldn't have work for long. :(

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about this. I was really planning more for the mythology angle for guest blogs... but if this is something that interests you, I'd love for you to write about it. :) It's definitely something that fits with the kinds of things I talk about over here, and I'd love to hear what more you have to say!

[amieroserotruck.livejournal.com]

Oh good grief, that's right, it WAS myth. Actually, I don't mind talking about that at all because I'm writing a story about unicorns and I'm balancing using traditional legends and inventing some of my own and I think that could be a fun thing to talk about. But if you want to revive this discussion for a change I can do that too.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

OOooh, unicorn stories. Awesome. I'd love to have you write about that--and then if you want to come back and guest blog again sometime, we'll talk about video games as art. :)

[amieroserotruck.livejournal.com]

Shounds good! Just let me know when you want to put me on schedule for blogging.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

I've asked a bunch of people to write them, but most wanted to wait 'til the end of the semester/deadline/page proofs/etc. I'll have to send out little reminders coming up soon.

Which is to say, my plan is to "stockpile" them once they start coming in, and then post them on a once-a-week basis.

[amieroserotruck.livejournal.com]

Good idea. I'll try to whip one up in January, after the holidays but before I register my thesis.