Hello there :)
Welcome to issue sixty four of Manufacturing Serendipity, a loosely connected, somewhat rambling collection of the unexpected things I’ve recently encountered.
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Part I: Things I’ve Encountered…
Back in March, I attended Oliver Burkeman’s Designing Your System for Creativity course (over Zoom), which I wrote a little about in issue 60 of this newsletter.
Something Burkeman touched on in this workshop was an idea he borrowed from American Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist, Richard Feynman. Feynman said that he kept a set of 12 Favourite Problems — i.e. a list of problems that required deep thought, and that over time, he hoped to be able to solve:
“You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps.”
What were Feynman’s 12 Favourite Problems? We don’t know for sure, and in any case I suspect that it’s likely that those problems evolved and changed over time.
That said, to give you a sense of what his list of problems might have looked like, I found this article, in which Tiago Forte offers up the following suggestions:
“Here are some of the kinds of questions we know [Feynman] pursued and that he might have been referring to:
How can we measure the probability that a lump of uranium might explode too soon?
How can I accurately keep track of time in my head?
How can we design a large-scale computing system using only basic equipment?
How can I write a sentence in perfect handwritten Chinese script?
What is the unifying principle underlying light, radio, magnetism, and electricity?
How can I sustain a two-handed polyrhythm on the drums?
What are the most effective ways of teaching introductory physics concepts?
What is the smallest working machine that can be constructed?
How can I compute the emission of light from an excited atom?
What was the root cause of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster?
How could the discoveries of nuclear physics be used to promote peace instead of war?
How can I keep doing important research with all the fame brought by the Nobel Prize?”
It’s really interesting to see that this isn’t a purely physics-centric list, huh?
But let’s get back to the point. I really like Feynman’s 12 Favourite Problems, because I think it’s potentially useful in a couple of ways:
Firstly, it’s limited. He’s thinking about a dozen or so problems, not hundreds — this is likely important because it’s probably not a great idea to divide your energies in too many directions. For what it’s worth I feel like even a dozen problems might be too many (for me at least).
Secondly, I imagine it helped Feynman organise and make sense of the many and varied conversations he was having, the work he and others were doing, the books and papers he was reading, and so on. He, (like all of us!) was exposed to huge amounts of information every day, and having these 12 problems in his head likely made it easier to sort out what was relevant (and therefore worth holding on to) and what wasn’t.
Finally, because he had those 12 problems in his mind, I suspect he was primed to notice relevant things — essentially, he was paying closer attention to what he was paying attention to, This, in turn, (I think) might have made it easier to see, or make connections between those seemingly unrelated things.
Thinking about Feynman’s 12 Problems reminded me of a post I wrote way back in 2019 — Quizzing Dad, Hopscotch, and Pansy Luchadores.
It’s really just a stream of thoughts as opposed to a coherent article (it rambles all over the place); but the reason that post meanders so much is because in it, I’ve drawn connections between:
A conversation I had with my Dad.
Chapter Five of Austin Kleon’s book: Keep Going. (The chapter I’m referring to is titled: The Ordinary + Extra Attention = The Extraordinary. Here, Kleon explores the idea of how what we pay attention to shapes our experiences, and indeed our lives.)
Something Neil Gaiman once said about where writers get their ideas from.
A couple of quotes from chapter 84 of Hopscotch by Julio Cortazar.
Austin Kleon’s post about his Pansy Luchadores collages. (In which he highlights how what he noticed previously might have ‘primed his eye’ – causing him to notice related things, and make further connections.)
Designer, illustrator and writer Jez Burroughs, on how he came to write Dictionary Stories: Short Fictions and Other Findings.
How was I able to make those connections? In the post I said I’d noticed a funny thing about noticing things:
“The more I notice, the more connections I make.”
Plus, a little later in the post, I said this:
“The things we notice, or pay attention to actually shape our reality — i.e. our individual realities are made up of the things we notice.”
Despite not knowing about Feynman’s 12 Problems back then, I was, already working on a problem of my own — whether it might be possible to manufacture serendipity, and what might happen if I paid closer attention to what I was paying attention to. (I’m sure it won’t surprise you to learn that it was this question that prompted me to create this newsletter.)
All of that was a really long and convoluted way of saying I really like Feynman’s 12 Problems idea — so much so, I spent a little time this week thinking about what my list would look like. As I noted above, 12 problems feels like too much for me, so for now, I have just six:
How can I be a better feminist and ally?
How can I develop and maintain a creative practice that works for me, rather than against me?
How can I become a more effective teacher, coach, and communicator?
How does my brain really work (as opposed to how I think it works)?
What might a “good” life look like for me, and how do I build and maintain that life? (Related: What things actually make me happy? What steps can I take to do more of those things?)
Is it possible to manufacture serendipity? How might I pay closer attention to what I’m paying attention to?
You’ll notice that these aren’t problems I think that I’ll solve — instead, they are things that both interest me, and I’m fully invested in continually working on. I hope that by paying attention to these things over time, my thinking, and indeed the things I make, and do, will evolve and improve.
Ultimately, I’m hoping this list will provide me with direction and focus, and make it easier for me to pay attention to what I’m paying attention to.
And so dear reader, over to you — do you have a list of Favourite Problems? Are you willing to share it? Also, is it an approach that’s worked for you?
Also, for those of you without a list like this: would you consider making one? Or even sharing it with me? Leave me a comment, or drop me an email :)
Moar serendipitous finds:
This article from Connie Wang is just wonderful:
“Over the years, I’ve come to realize that I’m part of a phenomenon: Generation Connie. By now, I’ve talked to dozens of Connies within this sisterhood, and learned we have a remarkable amount in common — that it is not by chance that our families and, in particular, our mothers, all gravitated toward the same name.
We all have our own stories about how our families came to the United States, and why they chose the name they did. But we’re also part of a larger story: about the patterns that form from specific immigration policies, and the ripple effects that one woman on TV prompted just by being there, doing her job.”
Anxiety - Decisions, the Fate of the World, and Everything In Between
I recently signed up to Steinberg Draws Cartoons on Substack and found this post about anxiety very relatable indeed:
Why We Should Stop Saying “Underrepresented”
This is excellent — N. Chloé Nwangwu argues that “underrecognized” is more accurate, and a more productive alternative to the word “underrepresented”:
“Underrepresented” fails because it shifts our focus away from the leaders, the institutions, and the systems that have the power to sustainably change the status quo. Instead, it puts the onus on the socially marginalized person.
“Underrepresented” also suggests that the solution to inequity is for leaders to place marginalized social groups into very visible positions while simultaneously failing to give them the tools needed to overcome individual and systemic biases. Then, it winks knowingly should this group not manage to beat the odds, again.
“Underrecognized,” on the other hand, invites us to address the behavior driving underrepresentation: a lack of recognition. It makes the real problem more visible, and puts the responsibility of change on the discriminators.
Artist Spotlight: Nathan Walsh
I love articles where I get to find out more about artist’s processes, and I found this one fascinating. Artist, Nathan Walsh says:
“Drawing plays an important aspect of my studio practice, from the visual notes I make on site to the complex blueprints that underpin my paintings. Instead of mimicking reality or photo based images these working drawings allow me to create an alternate reality built from a process of making then revising line and form.
I use perspective not in a pre-determined way but more as a free flowing strategy to develop composition. Textbook rules are assimilated but then manipulated and often rejected as the works develop.
The subjects explored here lend themselves to a method of construction and deconstruction. The cafes, bus stops and museums are presented as composites of interior, exterior and reflected space. For all their exactitude, they are not fixed in nature but exist in multiple states at the same time.”
This Font Erases One Word for Every Journalist Imprisoned in 2022
“In 2022, 363 journalists were imprisoned globally; a number that has increased by 296 per cent since 2000. This number still remains an estimation, as many cases go unreported. “It’s a problem that is largely invisible. Because we can’t read what is never published,” the creative agency 180 Amsterdam explains.
The Erased font is designed to draw attention to the issue. The typeface uses ligatures to hide words which relate to topics that imprisoned journalists have reported on. A total of 363 words are hidden within the typeface, one for each journalist imprisoned in 2022.
[…]
The campaign launched on World Press Freedom day (3 May) as a collaboration between several news outlets across the world. 180 used the open-source platform GitHub to allow journalists to easily implement the font without manual downloads. Erased will be updated yearly to reflect the growing number of journalists silenced.”
Read more about the campaign and download the Erased font here.
Whiting | A story of six breakfasts
I absolutely love this short story by Deesha Philyaw, and I’m sure you will too.
Part II: Books I’m Reading Right Now
My wonderful friend Areej gifted me with not one, but two wonderful books; the first of which I read this fortnight. It’s Not About The Burqa, edited by Mariam Khan, is a collection of essays written by Muslim women about faith, feminism, sexuality, and race.
In the introduction, Khan says she was prompted to create the collection thanks to an article in the Daily Telegraph in January 2016, in which David Cameron (in a private conversation), said he considered Muslim women to be traditionally submissive. Khan realised that she was continually hearing things ‘about’ Muslim women in the media — but rarely saw Muslim women being allowed to speak for themselves. She says:
“If Muslim women are to progress in society, if Muslim women are to be treated with respect, then it’s so important that we challenge the narrative built around us. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? We should be the authors of our narrative and identity; we should be the ones speaking ‘about’ us.”
And so, in an attempt to bring together Muslim women’s voices, and rewrite the narrative, It’s Not About the Burqa was born.
It’s a fantastic collection of essays which I’d highly recommend reading — plus, it’s introduced me to a bunch of new writers I want to explore, so I've now got a big list of other books I want to read. Thank you Areej!
Part III: Things I’ve Been Watching
I watched The Diplomat (Netflix) and I thought it was ok. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it; plus lots of people did love it, so maybe you might love it? Ugh. I don’t know.
In other news, Hannah Gadsby’s back! Yay! I loved Nanette so I was really excited to watch their new comedy special: Hannah Gadsby: Something Special (Netflix). It’s definitely lighter in feel than Nanette — but it’s not all unicorns and rainbows — Gadsby artfully segues between panic attacks, introducing their girlfriend to their mum, heartbreaking breakups, bunny killings, and more. It’s really wonderful and I’d strongly recommend watching it.
I’ve also been watching Season 7 of Queer Eye (Netflix) and I’m happy to report that the fab five’s makeovers continue to make for heartwarming viewing.
Part IV: What I’ve been up to…
I’m continuing to have a thoroughly brilliant time running my ideation course —reminder: if you missed out this time (tickets sold fast!), but would like to hear when future cohorts open, drop me an email: hannah@worderist.com and I’ll add you to my course mailing list.
Also, I had a really wonderful time visiting my Dad and taking part in the quiz he ran, it was tonnes of fun, plus I got to hang out with our friends who I hadn’t seen in way too long.
What’s next?
I’m excited to:
Go out for a lovely dinner with friends on Friday night
Act as a judge for the UK Content Awards and the UK Digital PR Awards
Meet up with my friend Mary and set the world to rights
Run the final session of my Ideation for Digital PR Course
Do a big old planning session with Areej
Start working on a couple of talks I’ll be giving at conferences later this year
That’s all from me for now :)
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sharing it, and if you would like to support me you can buy me a coffee.
Big love,
Hannah x
PS Wanna find out more about me and my work? Head over to Worderist.com
12 Favourite Problems
12 problems are definitely more than I can manage at any one time. Mostly that's because I spend time wondering what will be the next 'problem' that my 'dotage' will cause and that I will have to face - the latest being 'lost' credit cards. The search eventually leading to their recovery from the fridge - where they'd been stored along with other items bought at the supermarket. My favourite problem, and the one that gives me the most joy in attempted solutions, is what will be a really interesting/different theme for a quiz round in the quiz's I compile. Whilst recognising that in the grand scheme of being 'deep and meaningful' this problem is pretty lightweight, it does provide the necessary relief between the bouts of dotage related issues. And... extra joy, it does exercise the manufacture of serendipity and the associated challenges to Worderist for the 'ism' that best describe the theme.