Night Science 84 | Every scientist is an artist – Lois Hetland
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Apr 13, 2026 Lois Hetland, former art education chair and Project Zero affiliate known for the Studio Habits of Mind. She explores parallels between artistic practice and scientific discovery. Short, playful thinking and sustained, messy engagement are highlighted. Conversation focuses on observation, envisioning possibilities, embracing frustration, and building environments that nurture experimentation.
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Teach Observation As Skill And Disposition
- Teach observation as a disposition: combine observational skill, motivation, and sensitivity to occasion.
- Lois recommends varying perspectives (sit under the table, stand far away) and looking longer until context resolves mysteries.
Play At The Edge Creates Discoveries
- Creativity requires deliberate play at the edge where mistakes are inevitable and can become discoveries.
- Lois frames Stretch And Explore as transgressive play that either improves intent or opens a new direction from mistakes.
Engagement Sustains Long Creative Projects
- Long projects demand sustained engagement through inevitable obstacles; finding what genuinely engages you fuels persistence.
- Lois links engagement to weathering 'walls' and suggests multiple strategies like taking walks or juggling projects.