I talk about intersection and the benefits of cross-disciplinary thinking quite frequently. In my recent readings, I have discovered there is a whole scientific theory linking associative ability with creativity.
Until now I’ve been looking at different topics of interest and trying to connect them. This is good because it allows me to look at practical relationships and come to reasonable conclusions. However, there are limitations. The requirement for the associations to have practical use bar me from making conclusions that are less apparent.
For example, if I think about my coffee cup and a scuff mark on the floor from someone’s shoe, how can they be linked? Most scuff marks come from shoes without non-marking soles. What if this particular scuff mark came from an old shoe with some residue on it? Perhaps this residue partially came from some spilled coffee. Perhaps that coffee spilled from a mug of coffee not too different from the one I’m currently drinking from.
This association doesn’t hold much practical value now. Maybe it would if I were to write a piece of fiction. Maybe it matters because different kinds of scuff marks are best cleaned in different ways and with different chemicals.
The practicality of the association doesn’t matter. It’s the practice of training your brain to make those associations that is valuable.