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November 2, 2018: Problem Solving 101

As I said the other day, I do believe that the subconscious takes on problems the conscious does not seem to be able to solve, and then relays the solutions back to the conscious. I also think that experience and knowledge are key in enabling the subconscious to do its job. For instance, inexperienced writer’s subconscious minds can’t deal with higher layers of complexity because the subconscious isn’t yet ready to provide the necessary answers to the writing-related dilemma.

I’m now taking on what I’m calling higher level problems, both as a writer and as a horse educator. I stopped working on Forks for some time, not because I was

Alys and Hrimmi
Alys and Hrimmi

busy but because (unbeknownst to me) my subconscious needed to figure out how I might go about revising the introduction. Today I continued work on my new introduction, which seems to be materializing in bits and pieces. (Nothing ever seems to surface whole.) I have written about how the Forks book came to be. Perhaps the publishers will want something more conventional. If they make specific suggestions, I will be able to provide this. But right now, my subconscious cannot do any more than what it’s done, maybe because I lack experience in writing introductions. Hard to say.

Right now, my subconscious is attempting to figure out where my Alaska State Fair history should go. I’m just now wanting to start to move on, in order to begin work on a differing project. This means this one is nearly complete.

And today I also did horsey home schooling. The horses did really well, as always. I rode Tyra and Pete rode Raudi – I am hoping that raising my stirrup leathers will give me a more secure seat. As is the case when I work with horses, a problem has arisen, one that I am now ready to address. Maybe the subconscious is telling the conscious that it’s ready to take this on.

I decided to act on Plan A and ride Tinni and pony Hrimmi on the trail. As before, Hrimmi stopped repeatedly, mainly when the line went taut. I could tell that Tinni was getting annoyed with having to stop every few feet and so I went to Plan B, which was to walk Tinni and have Hrimmi follow, which she did. We had quite the outing; we did an icy creek crossing and went around the loop, with Hrimmi off line most of the time. I was thinking about this ponying problem – we have to solve it before summer when we do our trip. The most logical and efficient solution is to simply use a rope halter, which will put pressure on her nose. My sense is that this would be a form of betrayal because it contradicts the way I have been working with her. The focus, since the day she was born (here) has been on the use of positive reinforcement.

The subconscious did its job during our walk. I got home and worked with Hrimmi on ponying, first in the driveway, and then in the road. It was a lesson in chunking things down. It went just fine. I am going to increase the distances, and see if in this way I can bring about a turnaround.

For me, a life minus having to problem solve would be meaningless. I like attempting to rise to the challenge, and then the sense of satisfaction that comes in knowing that I have come up with a workable solution. This felt-sense is the same, both in dealing with writing and riding related problems.

Next: 307. 10/3/18: The Writing Life: Creativity

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