Habits of the Creative Mind: Asking Questions

Asking Questions

Asking questions to further enhance my writing is not an entirely new idea for me, yet it is something I should strive to do more. Rather than summarizing and answering one question or prompt, I need to open the topic up even more by asking my own questions during my writing. The authors doubt that there is a "bad" question, but ask, "What makes a good question?" (54) This makes me think about how many questions I have daily and consider if every single one really served a purpose. 

    

By reading the RadioLab story of how the 2 guys start with a broad question and narrow it down into even more complex ideas was very eye-opening. I could not help but wonder how they seemed to come up with the questions off the top of their heads and why it is that they chose to tackle some of life's biggest questions? 

    

Next, I read on to the section with Donovan Hohn and his travels in search of the plastic bath toys. For him, it all started as just a few questions and eventually he quit his job in search of the answers. Why would he quit his job and search for something that seemed so unknown? I am sure he had questions like that for himself when he was traveling, but those questions led to more questions and he later wrote a very observant and reflective book over his search and questions he asked. 

    

Later in the chapter, we find Michael Pollan contemplating the ethics of eating meat. Why is it that he chose to ask a probably unanswerable question? I may not know why and he may not know either, but his questions developed into more very articulate questions that developed into 2 books. The title of these are The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. 

    

In order to truly reflect on what I just read, I feel it is only appropriate to ask a question. Why is it that questions open up so many more ideas then some answers? What makes a question one to leave everything behind and search after like Donovan Hohn?

The video down below essentially questions, questions and does so phenomenally. Karen Maeyans is an excellent speaker and she gives a great discussion regarding the value of asking questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZIuAQw8RA4