Chalk Balls and Chewy Problems...

I came across a feeling today that I get occasionally in my job when I have a problem to solve and was wondering if anyone else gets this sort of thing and is it something that manifests itself in my job type, essentially computer programming.

Let me explain.

I had a problem I had to solve today. First looking at it, I hadn't a clue how to get around it but the thing is that I knew because of my exposure to the tools I was using that there was a solution there somewhere, I just could not get my head around it. There was actually certain points in the day where whilst mulling it over in my head, my thought process just about grabbed a solution, but it was like chasing a paper bag in the wind, I just about managed to get it, but it kept jumping just slightly out of reach.

I got there in the end. Well, I think I have. I had to leave the office just as I worked it out so I've got a couple of quickly jotted notes to warn me what to do tomorrow but it took me the best part of the day just scribbling notes, drawing myself pictures and generally just trying out certain things over and over to get to something that I kinda of knew was possible but had to work out how to do it.

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Notes on the Picture?
Bethany just started this practice the other day completely of her own making. She goes to the kitchen and gets a bowl, half fills it with water and takes it to the table. She then gets some tissue paper, shreds and soaks it, then forms it into a small ball. She then empties the plastic bowl we keep the chalk in, gets her scissors and then shaves various coloured chalk dust into the bowl. When she has sufficient chalk dust, she puts the wet paper ball into the bowl and rolls it around, coating it in the coloured chalk.

It's fascinating how she comes up with these things without any help. Tonight she took me through the process step by step to teach me it.