Several of my younger colleagues nick named me “Old Man” or OM many moons ago. I’m always wondering when the time will come that I can’t do the Software Engineering thing any more. So far “Saved in time, thank God my music’s still alive……”.

I’m always pleased to see OM’s all over the planet doing amazing things. It makes me feel good. This one really caught my eye.

I emailed this link to my good friend and colleague Michael Montgomery. In the past I mentored Michael and now he teaches me things. That turned out to be a great investment. He eloquently commented after reading the story on Avraham Trahtman. I wish I could express myself like this:

“I don’t believe that crap about the creative juices die after 30. I think it’s more a matter of life becoming too complicated. Don’t most people start families around that time? 

Your life has effectually become somewhat simpler. Now you just need to generate the passion and drive. (Easier said than done,right?) I also believe, for the most part, people do not understand the complexities of the creative process. Psychology still has no clue how it works. (The same for music, actually.)  

There’s great book out there by a psychologist, Rolo May, who seems to have spent a great deal of time studying ‘creative’ people. He found a few common themes in the lives of all his subjects. The most significant common element was intellectual ‘down time’ or better ‘diversion time’. It wasn’t that they needed to sleep or veg out, but occupy their minds with an activity of a different flavor.  They all had another hobby or pastime somewhat diametrically opposed to their primary calling. When they’d hit wall on a problem or vision, they’d set it down and go do this ‘something else’. Then, of course, they’d have that eureka moment, basically out of nowhere. Rolo believes, which I can personally attest to, a creative person’s mind is always working on the problem. However, when they divert their conscious activity, the mind works on the problem subconsciously. Beautiful. The dream state is a similar mechanism, but not as nearly as productive. 

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  <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">So basically, you get thinking time for free!…”</span>
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  <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"></span> <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">So I would argue that it’s perceived that young minds do greater work not due to their age, but simply because their lives are simpler and they still pursue what would be considered ‘unproductive’ pastimes, which allow their minds to do the necessary unconscious work. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">As you age your mind becomes a cacophony of domestic demands, stress, pressures, fears, etc. All of which eventually require you to give up those very pastimes that allow creativity.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'"> </span>
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  <span style="font-size: 11pt; color: #1f497d; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'">So start painting, learn to play a musical instrument, do wood working, something diametrically opposed to logic & you’ll be surprised what your crazy mind will dream up…</span>
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