Science and creativity often seem like completely separate worlds, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
On Wednesday, the Cognitive Science Colloquium hosted Matt Daniels. Daniels wears many hats: journalist, engineer, visual creator and anything in between. His award-winning work transforms datasets into visual media beyond the typical charts and tables.
“I’m turning [data] into a more creative cultural context that anyone can access,” Daniels said.
His goal was to inspire others — especially scientists and other technically-minded people — to take on as many hats as possible, too. Daniels wanted to encourage everyone in the primarily-scientistaudience to take on a creative practice. He believed those from technical backgrounds have some of the most interesting creative content to offer.
Daniels showed the audience many of his projects, both completed and in progress. The first project he introduced was centered around one question: “What if you could search every visible word on New York City’s streets?”
His other projects, many of which were also centered around a question, covered a range of topics and formats, from maps of happy moments and record heat temperatures to a video on the loneliness epidemic.
Daniels spoke on how many technically trained people often feel as though there is no room for creativity in their lives.
“As students go through school, they think they’ve made this decision,” Daniels said. “If you’re going to school to be an engineer or an academic… you might box yourself in.”
But being trained in a technical field doesn’t actually stop you from pursuing creative expression and can actually add an unusual perspective to creative works.
He discussed the benefits of adding creativity into one’s life, such as learning new skills and new topics outside of school or work.
Daniels also emphasized that creative pursuits did not have to amount to a wildly successful product. You could make something for yourself or for a friend.
Daniels then outlined a method for individuals looking to actually go through with finishing a project. There were three main stages: the ideas stage, the exploration stage and the production stage. Most of Daniels’ ideas come from questions.
“Asking a good question is often a really good place to start with creative projects,” Daniels said. He mentioned some questions that had turned into projects for him, like “Is the love song dying?”
He then moved onto the exploration stage, when he discussed scoping, or figuring out the depth of the project and what needs to happen for the project to come to life. He recommended creating a rough concept of the project during this stage.
In the production stage, Daniels emphasized the importance of maintaining stamina on a project. If a project is taking too long to complete, he advised, end the project or downgrade it to a less in-depth product.
Daniels also encouraged audience members to find a creative community to connect with.
“Your ideas need oxygen,” he said. “Talking about ideas with others and getting feedback helps understand how other people may connect with your ideas and keep them alive.”
Rue Amaya, a sixth-semester psychology major, said they appreciated Daniels providing a structured process for completing a creative project.
“A lot of the times [when] I do things creatively…I get overwhelmed,” Amaya said. “I have to ask myself all these different questions about how this gift is going to come to life.” They found Daniels’ structure helpful and inspirational.
Alyssa Bahadur, an eighth-semester student majoring in molecular and cell biology, said she appreciated the lack of pressure and self-driven nature of the creativity Daniels had described.
“I liked how you can take this into your own hands and make it a hobby,” she said. “It can be as simple as making a gift for someone.”
You can find more of Daniels’ work on his website, or on The Pudding.
If you are interested in attending Cognitive Science Colloquia, you can view other events on the UConn Department of Cognitive Science website.