Today’s prompt encourages us to discover new connections in order to increase creativity. By looking at things outside of your field, you can be inspired to think in a new way. This is why TED Talks are so inspiring to so many people. In fact, if you go to the TED Talks website, you will see the slogan, “2900+ talks to stir your curiosity.”
Cloudy with a Chance of Bias
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a meteorologist. His field is the science of weather. His TED talk was born out of the question, “Dr. Shepherd, do you believe in climate change?” This inspired him to give the TED Talk, 3 Kinds of Bias the Shape your Worldview. In today’s world where people have a hard time sifting through pseudoscience and “fake news” on social media, this is an important topic. Questions posed to him because he is a meteorologist led to an exploration of human psychology.
This is interesting to me because I study cancer and write about how to help people live well in spite of living with a cancer diagnosis. Every day I hear and read pseudoscience about cancer: what causes it, how to treat it, what the medical community’s motives are, etc. It blows my mind how much misinformation is out there. People tend to repeat things and share them on social media without ever thinking about things on a deeper level.
So by watching this TED Talk, I was able to discover new connections that began with a meteorologist and ended with how people share information about cancer.
When writers discover new connections
When writers discover new connections in history, you get wonderful things like historical fiction novels. Often they are made into movies like Titanic and The Da Vinci Code. When you discover new connections you can come up with all sorts of creative ideas.
A to Z Blogging challenge
I’m doing double duty this month during the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Here at Heather Erickson Author/Writer/Speaker, I will share ideas for “Thinking Creatively.” I’ll also be doing the challenge at Facing Cancer with Grace, where I will focus on “Avoiding Burnout.” I hope you’ll visit me at both sites. While you’re here, sign up for my email list. Today’s post is C is for Discover New Connections!
What happens when you discover new connections at a party
Horace Wells was a dentist. Like a lot of dentists at the time, he liked to party using nitrous oxide (commonly known as “laughing gas”). One day in 1844, he and a friend were using nitrous oxide in a non-professional way, when his friend overindulged. He ended up severely cutting his leg, on accident, during a stage show. At that time, when you needed to perform surgery on someone, you either had to knock them out or get them blind drunk. But Horae noticed something interesting. Although his friend was seriously injured, he didn’t feel a thing! This inspired Horace to try nitrous oxide as a primitive form of anesthesia.
What Are YOUR Thoughts?
Have you ever been inspired to discover new connections? I’d love to hear in the comment section, below. I appreciate my readers as well as the writing community. To show that appreciation, I use Comment Luv. Just leave a comment below and your latest post will get a link next to it. Thank you!
About Heather Erickson
I am an author, writer, and speaker and homeschooling mom of 3. Since doctors diagnosed my husband, Dan with stage IV lung cancer in 2012, I’ve focused my writing and speaking on helping cancer patients and their families advocate for themselves and live life to the fullest, in spite of their illness. My goal is to help people face cancer with grace. My books are available at Amazon.com:
Facing Cancer as a Friend: How to Support Someone Who Has Cancer
Facing Cancer as a Parent: Helping Your Children Cope with Your Cancer
I also blog about living with cancer at Facing Cancer with Grace.
6 comments on “C is for: Discover New Connections”
Liz A.
April 3, 2019 at 6:15 pmIt is fascinating how someone can take something new away from a topic that the presenter never anticipated. There’s a great show from the ’90s called Connections that showed how that worked in science. (Well, it was from the ’70s, but James Burke updated it in the ’90s.)
heatherericksonauthor
April 4, 2019 at 9:53 pmhi Liz. I haven’t seen that show but I’ll have to check it out. Have a great day!
J Lenni Dorner
April 4, 2019 at 1:30 amGreat post. I just suggested your blog to someone else today because I think your content is worth sharing. So maybe I’m a new connection? (*insert Twilight zone theme music*)
The A to Z Challenge has given me a lot of new connections. The most interesting connection from blogging was a few years back when I was in WriteClub along with Gloria Chao. She went on to win, and to publish her stories into a novel. And then I got to interview her for the Operation Awesome blog. And two of my teammates were geeking out that I landed that interview. But I got because of WriteClub, which is how I knew about her book before the “masses” did. So there you go, that’s my connection story for you.
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
heatherericksonauthor
April 4, 2019 at 9:51 pmHi J Lenni . I find I learn so much from other bloggers. The A to Z is great for that. Community makes connections and the A to Z Challenge creates a community of sorts. Congratulations on the interview!
Gail M Baugniet
April 4, 2019 at 3:15 amMany inventions and experiments fall into this category. I liked your reference to writers making connections in history and coming up with wonderful historical novels.
http://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com/
heatherericksonauthor
April 4, 2019 at 10:33 pmHi Gail, I love historical novels. It’s always interesting to me how someone comes up with the idea to set a story in time that readers are familiar with and can get excited about. You can instantly visualize it.