The 'Art' of Pattern Recognition?

An insight into letting go.

There’s something magical about the moment when patterns begin to emerge from seemingly disparate elements. As a neurodivergent thinker who specialises in pattern recognition, I wanted to share a glimpse into my creative process, not just the polished end result, but the messy, authentic journey of discovery.

The Ritual

It begins with an instinctive reach towards my bookshelf. I once discovered a word that describes my approach to books, Tsundoku, the practice of buying more books than you can read. I never quite know which book I’ll select; instead, the books seem to choose themselves.

Today, two seemingly unrelated works (different mediums) found their way into my vision, the BBC Four’s The Read: George Orwells’ 1984 read by Sasha Dhawan and Food Planet. Future: The Art of Turning Food and Climate Perils into Possibilities by Robert Dash (thank you for this gem, Alexandra Papadakis).

My toolkit is deliberately simple:

• Post-it notes scattered like the autumn leaves outside

• Coloured pens waiting to map connections

• A blank page ready to visualise the Portraits of the Mind

And most importantly, space for listening.

The Space Between

What really fascinates me is how different elements start to interact when you let them. Today, as I sit here with these materials, I’m thinking about the themes that kept coming up in conversations this past week, geopolitics, technology, and Pleasure Activism. I’m choosing to let go and let the patterns and connections reveal themselves.

At work, I’m shifting from giving traditional keynote talks to wanting to make a more lasting impact. Instead of just sharing insights, I’m thinking about how to teach people to “fish” themselves. How can I share not just my insights, but also the process of discovery?

Being neurodivergent, with AuDHD and dyslexia, means I have a knack for spotting patterns and asking the questions others might shy away from. I choose to sit with the discomfort (I’ve always thought it’s strange when people say “get comfortable with discomfort” because doesn’t that mean you’re comfortable now?). Those are the moments where the best insights happen. It’s in the quiet times, when you take a pause and let your thoughts settle, that real understanding begins to form.

Beyond the Hamster Wheel

My aim isn’t to provide ready-made answers. Instead, I hope to help others develop their own pattern recognition skills, to step off the perpetual hamster wheel of reactive thinking and into a space of conscious observation and questioning, to be proactive.

People have often called me “brave” for speaking the patterns and questions out loud. I’ve never quite understood that because it’s just how I am wired. But now I see that this is a beautiful part of my unique neurodivergence. So, I’m looking into ways to help others be brave, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Yes, it will likely push you beyond familiar boundaries. But isn’t that precisely where growth happens? In making different choices, in being brave enough to pause and truly see the patterns emerging in our own worlds?

For me, it begins by making space to dance in the liminal spaces, of making space for art.

“There are seven distinct genders, each offering a unique perspective on the world. Every one of them is equally beautiful.” Tomson Highway (Cree), a Two-Spirit playwright and author.