Anatomy of a Blog Post: From Abstract Creativity to the Internet

I have been hosting this blog for nearly half a year now, and I have had a few questions about my creative processes, so I figured I would write a post on how to create a post. I resisted the urge to call it "Post-ception" as I didn't want any copyright issues popping up, but corny title aside, I am writing about how I write. I have had a formula that I discovered early on in high school and has carried me through graduate school and beyond. Thankfully for me, it works for both creative and formal writing pieces, so I am sticking to it! Here goes:

1. It all starts with a single sentence or phrase. It might not be the title, it might not be the thesis, and it might not even be the most poignant part of my post, but it serves as a spark for the flame of creativity. I type it out first, bold it, and keep coming back to it throughout my writing. It keeps me grounded and on-topic. 
2. I don't write chronologically. To prove my point, this is actually the bullet point that I wrote last. I move throughout the the text, editing as I go and rearranging as I see fit. Usually the paragraph that I write in the last half of my time spent is the first paragraph of my post, which makes sense to me because by then I know the tone of the entire post and can write a more appropriate introduction to set the stage for the drama I create. 
3. I often write several posts at once. Right now I have 3 windows open for 3 different topics. As I come up with ideas, I realize that an idea I am developing in one post is better off as it's own idea. While this may seem a little scattered, it lets my mind move fluidly and unhindered, allowing the creative juices to spill from my mind and onto the page. 
4. I listen to music that inspires me and take frequent dance/singing breaks. I have participated in both of these arts and I feel that by letting my mind do what it wants like an ADHD child, I am able to articulate my thoughts more crisply. The soundtrack of Hamilton has been my main inspiration as of late. Sia's new album is another I like to jam to as I type.
5. I don't always finish in one sitting, but most of the time I do. The times that I do walk away from it and stew are the times when I don't get beyond more than a paragraph. I learned to abandon topics that aren't coming easily to the paper (or word doc) early before I invest a lot of precious time into them. If it isn't flowing from my finger tips, the topic either isn't ready or it isn't made to be. And I am okay with that fact. I don't sit down to write until I have at least a few hours to dedicate to the task. I have been known to sit for hours until 20 page term papers are done. I also wrote my literature review, as well as my thesis for DPT school, in one sitting. This time is of course interspersed with random dance/jam breaks. 
6. I let ideas sit in my brain for weeks on occasion before setting aside time for the activity of writing it out. I really capitalize on the concept of subconscious processing to allow more ideas to form. The longer I wait, the faster I am able to write. 
7. I dress for the occasion. If I am writing a professionally invigorating post, I wear business casual. Seeing as this is more of a creative post, I am currently wearing my mermaid yoga pants, a brand new haircut, a punk band shirt, and a single sock. It's odd, but it's working for me currently. 
8. I edit very minimally. I look at spelling and grammar, clarify confusing statements, and delete duplicate thoughts. I really only make the adjustments my editor requests, as I know that my process helps with a lot of the other issues authors run into.

Creative people are often seen as inherently quirky, and I suppose the way that I approach writing a blog is much the same way. Seeing as Van Gogh chopped off his ear and Darwin married his cousin, I think I am in a pretty good place. If you are looking to understand more habits of creative people, the Huffington Post write a neat article explaining several things that highly creative people do different. It might help explain a lot about your abstract relatives or even give you a few ideas on how to foster your own creative spark! 

Legacy: It's Not What We Do, but What We Leave Behind

As I turn 26, I am noticing that a lot of people at my age are in a turning point of their life. People are getting married, having children, and starting career paths. Coming from the Millennial Generation, we are often seen as the "me" generation... and for good reason; what with the advent of social media, it is hard to not to be lambasted with images of "look where I vacations" and "look what I am eating" and "look at my accomplishment." People measure success in different ways, however I believe that true success is measured not by what we are doing, but what we leave behind from those efforts. Events such as marriages, having children, or creating a DPT program happen to more than one person, and it is what you do to make this experiences special that create true success.

One example of this is holding titles/offices. Any one can hold a title, but it is what you do with that power that matters. For instance (at the chance of being political here), the title of President. Anyone can be president, but it is what you do with that title that you are measured for your success. History is a documentation of what was left behind, and greatness is determined by those historical artifacts. Think of a president of the United States. Right now. Any president. My guess is that you chose Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, JKF, FDR, or maybe even Obama. It is also my assumption that the names Filmore, van Buren, and Harrison probably didn't cross your mind. That is because, unlike the former, these individuals didn't leave much of a lasting impact. Now that is not to say that they weren't good at their job, but relative to other POTUSes, these guys weren't exactly political icons. Another difference between these two groups are that the POTUSes that were in power during the greatest times of adversity had the opportunity to engage with and react to the challenges presented to them, thus leaving a memorable legacy.

With the ever-changing landscape of health care reforms, we as physical therapists have the same opportunity to leave a lasting impression on our fellow health care workers. We are presented with unprecedented challenges right now to which we can either respond with strength and passion, or we can wait 20 years to wave an "I Participated" pennant. If we allow ourselves to be defined as what we are doing, such as simply attending PT school, or completing a PT residency, or treating patients, we are only filling half of the puzzle. We must see our actions from the perspectives of future minds who will look at us and see what we left behind. What did we do to create a lasting impact on the field? Simply existing and showing up isn't enough. Anyone can hold an office or say they are "super involved," but unless you have the evidence to back up your claims, people are going to call you on your null hypothesis. We must thirst for change and strive for lasting impacts.

In short, don't make people just look, make them focus. Saying that you held an office is not nearly as impressive as the programs you implemented or the practices you affected. You may have a laundry list of a resume, but that will eventually mean nothing. Resume-building is important, but once you reach a certain level of superiority, people start to look at what you are doing instead of the fact that you have that status. History will forget you if you do only enough to look impressive on paper. To quote the play Hamilton, history has it's eyes on you... so now that it is looking, what are you going to do to make it focus in on you?

The Genesis of Genius: When McMillan Lectures all Make Sense at Once (Book Review Part 1)

On my flight home from the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, I picked up a book in the airport, having exhausted my stash of scientific journals that I brought along with me. The title of the book is The Geography of Genius: Lessons from the World's Most Creative Places by Eric Weiner. Weiner is a journalist who is on a mission to determine why "genius flourishes in certain places at specific times" in an effort to essentially find an algorithm for intelligence uprisings. Throughout the book (I am only half way through it at this point), he travels the world to speak with experts, temporaries, and prodigies of the most genius minds in history. His travels take him to Athens to explore the ancient and most profound philosophers, Edinburgh to immerse in the medical and other scientific advancements of Scotland, Hangzhou to bask in the glory days of the Song Dynasty, and many other adventures. He takes an in-depth look not only at the personal lives of individuals who we as a culture now deem as "genius," but also at the political, environmental, and sociocultural dynamics taking place at the time of the uprising of these great minds.

I found this book most interesting because of how I felt it related to the field of physical therapy. While a physical therapist hasn't been deemed an official genius to the greater community of the world (to my knowledge anyway), we have many individuals within our microscopic infrastructure and related-community who would qualify for the title based on their life's works in either the clinics, the research lab, or often times, both. 

Two Mary McMillan Lectures were called to mind thus far in my indulgence reading. The first of which was Alan Jette's 2012 lecture entitled Face Into the Storm. In this lecture, Alan makes several interesting and inspiring points in relation to managing the many challenges that physical therapy was about to face at the time. However, the most pertinent lesson that I internalized from attending the lecture was that the field as a whole must face into the incoming storm and not run away, but rise up to meet the challenges head on.  This pedagogy, according to Weiner's discoveries thus far, is a cesspool for breeding an influx of genius within the field. Many ideas are birthed in the face of adversity. Just as the need for good hand hygiene was the window of opportunity between post autopsy and pre-delivery events in the medical field, limited insurance reimbursement and rapid health care cuts led the way for the inspiration of many community based programs as well as health and wellness initiative for the physical therapy field. 

The second lecture that presented a parallel to my readings was Lynn Synder-Mackler's 2015 lecture entitled Not Eureka. In this 46th lecture, Lynn describes how the greatest moments of discovery are not necessarily known immediately and are not often a big event initially. In act, the greatest discoveries and moments of genius tend to occur with a quite moment followed by  a solemn "well, that's funny." A subtle change or shift in the winds can result in needing to adjust your trajectory to a solution, often leading you down the novel and rarely-traveled path of ingenuity. Many scientific discoveries are not considered major until years of discussion, attempts to discredit them, and other new theories begin to support this existing paradigm (think spherical earth theory). 

The two most important ideals established in this work of literature are the following: 

1. Genius is a Process. That is right, with a capital P. It often doesn't happen all at once and the efforts of the individual are often not rewarded until years after the death of the individual (which might be why we have no certified PT geniuses as we are still a relatively infantile field). Also, a major part of the process of genius is a collective cultural response to the works of said individual stating the status of "genius", as society as a whole often has to see the worth and relevance to the ideas. 
2. Genius is often a unique response to a unique challenge which is necessary to continue to drive forward progress, survival, and stability for the human race. The reason I say human race is that we don't often describe animals as geniuses, and the ones we do are somehow able to successfully mimic human qualities anyway (such as Suda the painting elephant or KoKo the gorilla) therefore, genius seems to be an explicitly human or human-esque title. 

I highly recommend this book. It is witty, information, and has enough fun side tangents to keep this piece of non-fiction from being too dry and boring. It is also a good reminder that when the going gets tough, the tough better get going to the library because genius is only a train of thought away. 

Beyond APTA Involvement: Is there worth in membership to groups outside our clique?

I recently got home from a whirl wind trip to the Gerontological Society of America's (GSA) 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana. While I was only present in the city for a measly 36 hours due to the constrictions of having starting a new job (PTO what???), it was still an unprecedented, highly inspiration 36 hours which has led to the culmination of several new blog post ideas as well as many new networking relationships and activities to keep me busy throughout at least the first half of 2017. Each conference has a theme, and this year the theme was "New Lens on Aging." The thought behind this theme, which was carefully and most appropriately selected by our outgoing chair, Nancy Morrow-Howell, was to take a new look at how we view the science behind aging. However, I feel that this theme had a subtext to it that wasn't expected by myself, or perhaps any of the conference goers.

I feel that as healthcare, academic, and research professionals, we all wear our unique set of lenses when it comes to how we view aging. My physical therapy-shaded glasses will be different than the filter provided in the lens of that of an MD, public health official, or even that of the patient/client we are all simultaneously assisting. In order to be successful in our endeavors to aid and assist those who are aging, each lens is a small part of the greater image that is aging, and without the entire team, we fail in even the best intentions for this diverse population.

I have been a member of GSA for 3 years now. I initially joined as a way to gain access to their extensive database of interdisciplinary research as I was embarking on my primary thesis at the time for my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. What I discovered in this organization was beyond just a data blitz. It was also mentor-ship, friendship, and collaboration with individuals from around the world which has shaped me into the young researcher and clinician that I am today in the field of human aging. Surprisingly though, most of these individuals who has inspired me within the realm of GSA were not physical therapists. I have found that through my involvement with other groups, I have connected to people who are also involved in APTA who I might not have met otherwise through the APTA alone.

Interdisciplinary collaboration: this recent buzz word is a new trend in medicine and medical management of our patients. The paradigm has shifted to include opinions from all sorts of professionals within the health care system including even spiritual care staff. Within GSA world, this interdisciplinary conversation takes place among clinicians and academics, grad students and field experts, social workers and doctors, and on and on and on. These relationships foster the growth for improving translation of knowledge from the lab to the patient experience.

As for the main stem of my thesis in this post, the answer is "it depends" on whether or not membership in groups outside of the APTA is worthwhile. I feel that it depends on the group. Someone else who isn't as driven by this pedagogy might not find the same value.

Nevertheless, I implore you to look into at least one professional association outside of the APTA in order to broaden your scope of practice and gain new insight into the world you love (be it geriatrics, neuro, sports, ortho. or whatever else). You might even have some fun and meet some neat people along the way.