The path from the lurker to the creator lies through the valley of action

The path from lurker to creator lies through the valley of action

• Creativity begets creativity.
  • Lurkers haven’t yet tasted the fruit of creation. They simply don’t grasp what it means to create something using only one’s mind and hands.
  • Even something small can suffice—a note you enjoy rereading time and again, a chapter of a book, or a post that others read and share.
• The more you engage in such work, the better you become. This is the only worthwhile goal to strive for.
  • To create consistently—not always of the highest quality, but good enough to feel a sense of pride in yourself.
  • The only way to become stronger is to work harder.
• Without my notes—the same system of notes to which I add this one—I wouldn’t be able to produce any substantial work. The five years spent cultivating this system enabled me to create four courses, write two books, plan a third, and set myself on the path to completing a PhD.
  • Before me, thinkers and doers like Luhmann, Breslav, and even the Stoics observed the same phenomenon. Philosophers of old constantly benefited from the insights of others.
  • Andrey Breslav, a prominent software engineer, led the development of the Kotlin programming language at JetBrains starting in 2010.
    • Kotlin was designed to be fully interoperable with Java, offering a more concise and expressive syntax. Breslav and his team drew inspiration from several existing languages to shape Kotlin’s features.
• Andrey is merely a recent example of such achievement. Before him, Darwin became renowned partly due to his notes and extensive writing; his sister published some of the journals he sent back from his travels. Da Vinci is another example: he wrote around 7,000 pages of journals, which weren’t merely tools for later recall but instruments to think, contemplate, plan, and shape ideas into something more tangible than imagination alone could produce.
  • I must also mention Michael of Rhodes, the 15th century, a sailor who rose to the rank of captain. He used journals to educate himself in mathematics, navigation, and numerous other fields. I believe those diaries were instrumental in shaping who he became.
• My own notes, by the way, have undoubtedly aided me in my work, and I am guided by them.
  • I honestly don’t know who influences whom—whether I am shaped by my notes or if it’s the other way around.
  • In any case, creativity begets creativity. Notes enable a robust flow of ideas but do not guarantee them.
  • Every piece of creative work begins with input. If there is none, then there is no output.
    • This brings me back to my primary disagreement with Sonke: I believe that intellectual endeavors do not begin with writing; they conclude with it. Intellectual work begins with reading and processing.
• To create, one must be knowledgeable, well-read, and capable of thought. There are three key approaches to creativity:
  • Inspirationalists: This type requires a free flow of ideas, playfulness in activities, and lateral (unconventional) thinking. Example is Da Vinci.
    • Why Inspirationalist: Da Vinci is often seen as the archetype of the Inspirationalist. His work was driven by curiosity, visual imagination, and the freedom to pursue whatever fascinated him, from anatomy to flight to art. He sketched ideas spontaneously and used his notebooks to explore thoughts fluidly, without the constraints of formal structure.
    • Additional Influences: Though an Inspirationalist, Da Vinci was highly systematic in areas like anatomy, combining Structuralist discipline with inspiration. He would also be Situationalist to a degree, working with patrons and engaging in the intellectual networks of Renaissance Italy, which influenced some of his projects.
  • Situationalists: The work of this type of creator depends on social context; they are deeply embedded in their community. Example is Darwin.
    • Why Situationalist: Darwin’s journey to developing the theory of evolution was deeply embedded in the context of his time. He relied on a network of correspondences with other naturalists, collecting samples and ideas through a collaborative, context-rich approach. His theories emerged not in isolation but through constant interaction with the naturalist community and the prevailing scientific paradigms.
    • Additional Influences: as well; he meticulously cataloged his observations, organizing data across years. His notes became the foundation for his theory, showing how he leveraged methodical recording to develop a groundbreaking idea. Darwin’s observational insights also drew on his Inspirationalist side, allowing him to perceive patterns in nature that others missed.
  • Structuralists: The most systematic type, relying on their ability to study techniques and methods. Example is Breslav.
    • Why Structuralist: Breslav’s work as the lead developer of Kotlin exemplifies a Structuralist mindset. Designing a programming language that seamlessly integrates with Java requires meticulous planning, systematic testing, and a deep understanding of both language mechanics and user needs. Kotlin’s structure—concise, functional, yet powerful—reflects a well-studied synthesis of ideas from other languages.
    • Additional Influences: While primarily a Structuralist, Breslav’s approach was also community-oriented, listening closely to feedback from developers. This “situational” aspect ensured Kotlin met real-world needs, adding value beyond its technical achievements.
• I consider myself to be in the last category. I am a Structuralist in the truest sense of the word, but this doesn’t mean that I endorse any specific type of structure or system. Rather, I delve deeply into the methodical aspects of creativity and the foundational requirements for creation.
  • As with any creator of the past in addition to structural approach I manifest other as well, in a weaker form, and depending on the context.

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