- **Epistemic status:** #budding Psychologists used to associate focused work to the scientific or intellectual types of work. Then, creative work was associated with art. We now understand that for any type of work like the scientific, you need both kinds of attention. A study done by Oshren Vartanian where they gathered data for comparison and analysis on the workflows of Nobel Prize winners. The results of the study were that a flexible instead of a relentless focus was the factor that distinguished them. > "On one hand, those with wandering, defocused, childlike minds seem to be the most creative; on the other, it seems to be analysis and application that's important. The answer to this conundrum is that creative people need both… The key to creativity is being able to switch between a wide-open, playful mind and a narrow analytical frame." [[#^6e5482]] To create the mental flexibility to be focused on one moment and then allow yourself to playfully explore ideas in the next, you need an equally flexible work structure that doesn't break down every time you move on from a preconceived plan. --- ## References - Ahrens, Sönke. _How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers_. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017. - Dean, Jeremy. _Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick_. Hachette Books, 2013. ^6e5482