A photo of Sarah, looking 'truly demure' in her own words.
Lifelong Learning: The Key to Staying Engaged and Relevant
To Sarah, it is a fundamental truth: “Stagnation is the first step towards the grave.” This belief is shaped by her own experiences navigating the challenges of her career. During her PhD, she clung to traditional mathematical methods, driven by a lack of confidence and a focus on outcomes over process. But over time, she realised that true innovation and deeper understanding come from embracing flexibility and creativity.
Reflecting on her career, Sarah explains, “When I started to have enough time and gain enough work to give me some spare time, I really wanted to explore maths again more creatively.” This shift in approach allowed her to rediscover the joy of learning and adapt her thinking to new challenges.
“Revisiting pointillism definitely helped me reconnect with my imaginative and aspirational side.The sense of wonder and excitement I had as a child came back to me.”
Revisiting Childhood Hobbies: A Pathway to Creativity and Insight
Sarah’s experience with pointillism, a childhood hobby, illustrates the profound impact that revisiting past passions can have. As a young student, she had little confidence in her artistic abilities, but over time, she discovered how this hobby could enrich her professional life. “I found that the best way to capture a shape was by using very small dots,” she reflects. Pointillism allowed her to visualise mathematical structures creatively, providing insights that rigid approaches could not.
“So you have Sarah using pointillism when she was younger and then you have Sarah now,” she explains. “It is almost like my childhood hobby is unlocking something in me. It isn’t just unlocking mathematical insights but also making me feel that I am not so old and that I can develop new dimensions to myself and be more of what I want to be.” This reconnection with her artistic side has significantly enhanced her sense of self and personal growth, adding to her self-discovery.
“Revisiting pointillism definitely helped me reconnect with my imaginative and aspirational side.”
Sarah’s reflection on her journey also highlights the role of confidence in personal development. “Revisiting pointillism definitely helped me reconnect with my imaginative and aspirational side,” she shares. “The sense of wonder and excitement I had as a child came back to me. Adulthood comes with a lot of duty, anxiety, and stress. The duty can be a good thing, but when you doubt yourself and focus solely on achieving results, you miss out on the process of achieving it. Gaining confidence in anything makes you feel more comfortable in the moment and more at ease with switching from what you must do to what you could do.”
The Importance of Flexibility and Openness
One of the key lessons Sarah shares is the importance of maintaining “flexibility of thought and openness.” As adults, we often lose the boundless energy and intuitive narratives of childhood. Formal education and professional environments can sometimes stifle our creativity by focusing too narrowly on outcomes rather than the processes that lead to them.
“I think the 15-year-old version of me wouldn’t be surprised by what I’m doing now. However, the undergraduate University Sarah would be. I lacked so much confidence in my ability at that time.”
“When I was doing my PhD, I was relying on more formal explorations. It was only when I started to embrace a more intuitive approach that I found the insights came more naturally,” Sarah notes. Reconnecting with childhood hobbies like pointillism has allowed her to regain this sense of creative freedom and flexibility.
Sarah also reflects on how her perspective has evolved over time. “I think the 15-year-old version of me wouldn’t be surprised by what I’m doing now. However, the undergraduate University Sarah would be. I lacked so much confidence in my ability at that time. I didn’t know how I best learned. I was too busy to engage with the creativity in a more emotional way; I had locked off that side of myself.” She acknowledges that the divide between science and art is a false dichotomy. “We all have both if we allow ourselves to see that,” she adds.
"It was only when I started to embrace a more intuitive approach that I found the insights came more naturally."
The Link Between Creativity and Well-being
Sarah also highlights the critical link between creativity and well-being. In her view, hobbies and creative pursuits are not just about personal enjoyment; they have tangible benefits for our mental and physical health. “Anything that brings joy is good because it is the antithesis of the kind of stress that drags us down and affects our immune system,” Sarah observes. By fostering creativity, we not only enhance our personal satisfaction but also support our health and longevity.
“When I started reconnecting with my artistic side, it wasn’t just about the math. It was about feeling more comfortable in my own skin and embracing a more holistic view of my life and work,” she adds.
By fostering creativity, we not only enhance our personal satisfaction but also support our health and longevity.
Educating for a Balanced Life
Sarah’s insights extend to the topic of education. She argues that schools and institutions need to place greater emphasis on mental well-being and creativity rather than solely focusing on academic achievements. “There is too little attention paid to students’ mental health and protective factors,” Sarah points out. Developing self-confidence and creative thinking skills from a young age is crucial for fostering a balanced and fulfilling life.
“Formal education often emphasises outcomes rather than the creative processes that lead to them,” she explains. By integrating creative exploration into the curriculum, we can help students build resilience and a sense of self-worth that will benefit them throughout their lives.
"Anything that brings joy counteracts the kind of stress that impacts our immune system and overall health. Feeling happy and motivated, and having a sense of purpose, would be incredibly beneficial for public health."
Innovative Ideas: Linking Creativity to Health Outcomes
Reflecting on her professional work in public health modelling, Sarah notes a crucial link that is often overlooked. “We all know we should be increasing our steps, eating our five a day, and managing other health metrics,” she says. “But are we missing a trick by not connecting hobbies and creativity with our well-being?” She believes there is substantial evidence linking our psychological and physical health, including our immune and cardiovascular systems. Although data specifically connecting hobbies with health outcomes might be sparse, Sarah suggests that it could be incredibly valuable. “Imagine if we could create a validated creativity scale to explore how changes in creativity affect health and longevity. I’m confident there would be a positive correlation. Anything that brings joy counteracts the kind of stress that impacts our immune system and overall health. Feeling happy and motivated, and having a sense of purpose, would be incredibly beneficial for public health. It could lead to a more open, less judgmental society, where we are less reactive and more supportive of one another.”
Never stop learning and exploring—it’s the key to a fun and most likely longer, meaningful life.
Embracing Your Journey
Sarah’s advice to her younger self is to “embrace new experiences and have confidence.” For those of us who have been out of touch with our passions, her story is a reminder of the value in reconnecting with what once brought us joy. “Never give in. Never surrender,” she advises her older self, emphasising the importance of perseverance and continuous growth.
In conclusion, Sarah’s experiences and reflections illustrate the profound impact that lifelong learning and revisiting childhood hobbies can have on our lives. By staying curious, embracing creativity, and nurturing our passions, we can enhance our personal fulfillment, professional success, and overall well-being.
Never stop learning and exploring—it’s the key to a fun and most likely longer, meaningful life.
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