Pooka Doesn't Do Windows

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

A Pooka is a mythological creature (popular in Irish and Germanic culture) that takes on many forms. It can be a spirit of mischief, other times a creature of good will, always with the power to create and destroy. In college, my Trivium teacher used the image of a Pooka to talk about the creative writing process, imploring us that “Pooka doesn’t do windows” - that we should just write. Editing (i.e. “doing the windows”) comes later.

This may seem like simple advice for the aspiring writer but I’ve seen it work elsewhere.

In golf, don’t think about swing mechanics or pro tips when you’re on the course, just swing freely (do the windows at the range).

In reading, doing research, or sitting in class, don’t worry about taking notes every 30 seconds - keep your mind free to focus on what’s most important (do the windows and summarize later).

In conversation, debate, or public speaking, don’t worry about your immediate response or your next great idea, just speak freely and truly (do the windows and reflect later).

As I was writing this I’m reminded of a great scene from Finding Forrester that speaks exactly to this idea:

Regardless of whether this “works”, wouldn’t life be more fun this way? Spending far less time analyzing, premeditating, thinking, worrying, forecasting, projecting, and instead just doing?

I think one way (for me at least) to live more like this to get over the fear of looking stupid. Just try something, explore it and don’t worry about how it’s packaged or how it’ll be received or how it compares to something else or whether this breaks from your public image or whether it seems amatuerish or whatever other excuses we invent to keep ourselves from exploring ourselves. I’m betting we spend too much time (especially on social media) inhabiting a meaningless echo chamber, and not enough time genuinely exploring something for its own sake.

But why does this matter? Because the robots are, in fact, coming for our jobs (and that’s largely a good thing). Technology like AI will only continue to improve and automate away more work. And so the more you make your life’s work an act of creation, the less likely it’ll be replicated by an LLM.

On a deeper note, I think life’s more fun when it’s an act of creation. Most work can feel limiting. Here’s a problem, go solve it, repeat. But life really can’t be about solving one miserable problem after another. There has to be more. And it’s up to us to create it.

So try letting Pooka run free, and worry about the windows later.

The Real Secret of Monkey Island - Innovation

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite games growing up was the Monkey Island series by LucasArts, a swashbuckling, point-and-click adventure game full of challenging puzzles, funny witticisms, and (of course) monkeys. I had been so used to mindless, side-scrolling console games like Super Mario Bros. that finding this mutli-dimensional experience was eye-opening. The possibilities seemed endless! It’s hard to believe this game is already 25 years old, yet the gameplay and cultural references still hold up.

The high level of interactivity with the environment is a hallmark of LucasArts games. Hovering over areas on the screen will prompt you to look at certain items or talk to certain people, gathering information to achieve your goals (like trying to become a pirate). You’re also encouraged to explore every corner of the universe as information from one area will help solve puzzles in another area. You’re also forced to think more expansively about the items in your inventory and improvise where necessary. At one point you’re asked to produce a helmet. Luckily, a cooking pot works just as well in a pinch. Moreover, you can also combine items to create something wholly new. For example, you’ll often need to create potions in the series by acquiring and combining several ingredients.

You’ll soon find that while playing these games, you’ll be developing a very specific set of skills, like problem-solving and persistence. If you’re ever stuck on a puzzle and aren’t sure what to do next, you will inevitably try every combination of inventory items to generate some new ideas or talk to everyone in all possible permutations to garner new information. This speaks to the notion of the adjacent possible, the idea that one can review all of the current possibilities and constraints of a specific topic and determine the immediate first-order steps to take. In his book Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson describes this process as a “map in which the present can reinvent itself” capturing “both the limits and the creative potential of change and innovation.” He cites the example of Apollo 13, where a team of engineers had to improvise and build a carbon dioxide filter using only the available inventory on the lunar module. This spirit of curiosity and experimentation permeates the entire Monkey Island series.

The act of tinkering with commonplace items can give the player a sense of reawakening, turning the mundane into the novel. This hearkens to Tolkien’s idea of Recovery, “seeing things as we were meant to see them”. The poetic language in The Lord of the Rings enchants the reader, bringing meals, journeys, and nature to life. This explains why stories like his tend to be re-read. While our daily routines force our environment to become “blurred by familiarity”, these adventures help us regain “a clear view”.

The ability to connect different experiences in Monkey Island also brings to mind Einstein’s idea of combinatorial play which Einstein deemed “the essential feature in productive thought”. Combining and recombining ideas tends to reveal unknown connections. This creative state of play happens before any logical construction occurs. As my old Trivium professor used to say, “Pooka doesn’t do windows”. In other words, the process of inspiration and actually connecting the dots are different. Playing the Monkey Island series certainly brings that idea to the forefront.

The Monkey Island series is an enjoyable ride, both thought-provoking and funny. It also helps the player develop skills necessary for creativity and innovation. The series stands in stark contrast with the popular games of today, which overwhelm with cinematic spectacle but usually fall short on engaging the whole person. I’m looking forward to re-playing the series with my son.

Joe Conley Tagged creativity

Pooka Doesn't Do Windows

The Real Secret of Monkey Island - Innovation