fractals

Fractals are pretty cool. They’re like the James Dean of both nature and mathematics.

But I hadn’t really thought of them as being practical before. Does that make them fractical? I apologize for that (not really).

In case you’re one of the rare few who don’t know much about them, fractals are formed by patterns that repeat at both larger and smaller scales (whether you zoom in or out). A fern leaf or a swirly seashell are the common examples you’ll find in nature.

Lately, I’ve been using the Calm app. This isn’t a paid promotion or anything, but it has been helpful, especially the sleep stories. Well, during one of her daily meditations, Tamara Levitt presented the notion of fractals occurring in normal life patterns. I’d never thought of them that way, but there’s certainly truth to it.

Have you had days where you felt more creative at certain times and less at others? What about weeks where you were more creative on certain days? Keep zooming out and you’ll likely find the same patterns within months and even years. There be fractals.

The same can be applied to moods, productivity, and even energy levels.

Are there ways to take more control and manage these? For sure. Yet, the patterns, the ebb and flow, still exist no matter how much we try to control them.

Even so, there are certain things you should commit to doing regularly, no matter how creative/productive/happy/etc. you feel. But even those things may come and go, changing over time in necessity and importance.

Having experienced a few major life events (and some on the way), I’ve certainly noticed this happening in my life, especially with how I spend my time on creative pursuits. I expect you’ve seen some kind of shift in the larger pattern of your life over the last year as well.

Rather than giving in to frustration or discouragement when this happens, why not instead embrace this aspect of life? Take a look at what has changed and where it may be leading you, both on small and large scales. You might be surprised at the patterns you see emerging and the possibilities that lie ahead.

The other amazing thing about fractals is their beauty (just check out some images of the Mandelbrot set). In the same way, the recursive patterns of our lives can also lend themselves to a certain beauty, if we’ll just take the time to look.