Creative Math
February 23rd, 2008
Yesterday's creativity was all about math. Yes, math can be creative! People don't put math and art together too often, but they were my best subjects in school. Go figure. Now, while I liked and understood math, I never much enjoyed finances. I think I was brought up to be slightly scared of money, fear of having it and fear of losing it and I picked up a habit of avoiding looking at it altogether. I got myself into some pretty nasty debt in my mid-twenties by doing that. Well, I had to take a hard look at it eventually and I managed to get myself out of that debt.
Now that I'm working for myself, I've been finding it hard to look at my finances again. I'm not bringing in as much money as I did when I was working full time and although I'm doing fine, I have been avoiding looking at the numbers and where I stand. So, yesterday I took some time to work on my excel spreadsheets, adding up my income and expenses. I'm not finished yet, but already I feel loads better in knowing exactly what's going in and out, how much the fees are in different venues I sell with, and how much I'm bringing in each month.
As I get more comfortable with excel, I'll be able to make my spreadsheets more fun and interesting to look at. Hey, there's no need for math to be intimidating or ugly! Awhile back I started using a program called Flick! to keep track of my inventory, mainly with art I sent to galleries, so I know what's where and what it's status is. I chose Flick because it's compatible with Mac computers and I like the way it looks. So far so good.
How do you make the nitty-gritty of your financial and organizational tasks more creative?
Thanks by the way for the well wishes. I'm feeling better every day. The cough still lingers, but my energy is returning. The hubster is making a delicious dinner for us and we're cozying up and watching the first season of 24. It's so fun to watch a whole season back to back! Hope you're all having a lovely and creative weekend!
9 Responses
Hubby and kids and I are on season 5–love that show, and you’re right, it’s awesome to be able to watch episodes back to back!
There’s something for you over at my blog–
Posted by: Karen Smithey | Feb 23, 2008 at 11:00 pm |
I think all true mathematicians are very creative. I say this as someone who always found it much easier to let my intuitive side do my maths homework – the problem is its taught as though its rational when really its something you should just let your unconscious do. Oh and of course I did do a maths degree…
Not that all the mathematicians accepted me… they thought I had to be an Arts student… oh well maybe there are just a few of us that see it as a creative pursuit.
I’m also with you on not finding it so easy to apply myself to the financial side – I especially dislike tax forms… shudder… yes that’s definitely one of my weak areas…
As for how to make them more creative – for me its important to really let my unconscious have all the facts, then sleep on them, then just do it. And then its usually all sorted….
I do hope you are feeling better much soon – I’ve not been well lately either…
Posted by: Caroline | Feb 24, 2008 at 4:22 am |
I once read an interesting article connecting art and math. There are a lot of connections in perception and problem-solving that are remarkable similar, dissimilar though they may seem on the surface! My younger son and I both have the facility but both have no interest in math. As for finances, I’m just like you. Sitting down and planning our upcoming seriously heavy expenses yesterday did a lot to alleviate the anxiety. Maybe I should even do some creative spreadsheets, too!
Posted by: andrea | Feb 24, 2008 at 10:46 am |
I also love watching seasons back to back. I watched the first season of Heroes like that…. my man and i finished the whole thing in about a week. It’s the best way to watch a show
Don’t you just love instant gratification hahaha.
Posted by: Dale | Feb 24, 2008 at 1:04 pm |
Oh, you struck a cord with me…I even thought of going back to school to become a math teacher. Break the wall of the thought that math is boring and instead CAN be very creative. I have used image techniques when my daughter was in MS (now in HS)to get over the fear of a concept in math. It worked. Teachers were impressed as well. Personally, I don’t think I do anything creative except I like keeping track in a notebook instead of those annoying little checkbook ledgers. I remember in my years working in accounting…I’d always have key colors for ‘totals’ in Excel, ect.
Posted by: PJ | Feb 24, 2008 at 1:51 pm |
Argh! I am not a traditional math student. I always like geometry if we didn’t have to do proofs! That be as it may, I married an engineer! Very traditional math guy! I guess I keep my finances very simple and that helps me get through it faster…for me, simple is just a notebook which my husband translates. Then I go over all the stuff he has done, so I know where we stand! I really get in a bad mood about it, though! Isn’t it awful school turned me off from the fun of the subject?
Posted by: Kim | Feb 24, 2008 at 5:18 pm |
I love the watch back seasons of shows like that. I’ve been meaning to get Grey’s Anatomy and watch it. Have fun with 24 tonight and feel better soon!
xo,
Karen Beth
Posted by: Karen Beth | Feb 24, 2008 at 7:07 pm |
I love the bird stamp you created and the fact that you did it while dealing with flu is so inspiring. I realized I haven’t participated in this challenge exactly as I had imagined it but that’s okay. I wrote about it here: http://kimhaasdesign.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/what-was-i-thinking/
Posted by: Kim | Feb 24, 2008 at 7:55 pm |
Yes! Math is an art. I was a math major in school and wrote a paper about it my senior year (many years ago) Then I worked in applied math for years in the actuarial field – not an art
I don’t enjoy finances either.
Glad you’re feeling better!
Posted by: Julia | Feb 26, 2008 at 6:21 am |