Fractals and Surrealism: A Pathway towards Rescuing Early Career Scientists' Creativity, and thus Scientific Discovery.

Abstract

Artistic technique and scientific discovery are superficially contradictory, but are unified at their core as products of creativity. I have always embraced both disciplines, but at some point during my academic journey, I lost my imagination and ability to dream creatively. For over a decade, I have remained passionate about perfecting a way to retrieve this intrinsic component of myself, and nurture it in my students and peers. We must think anew and act anew - bridge the gulf between the disciplines of art and science - if we are to rescue creativity in scientific discovery, and retain many of the bright minds that burn out and even leave academia in science. Surrealism and fractals in nature are such bridges, and offer a space for early career scientists to embrace the full breadth and cultural capacity of science. Here, I present a retrospective review of artworks I have produced over nearly two decades, in considering how they reflect my mindset and relationship with science at various stages of my academic journey.