Today was one of those days when I just couldn't muster the resolve to hit the research trail where I had left off. Perhaps my mind was all awash with binding, slimy seaweed. I needed a break, a chance to shake loose of research frustration. Instead of pursuing those aggravating, elusive Polish ancestors of the Puchała persuasion, I set that goal aside for something a bit more mindless.
I worked on my DNA matches.
Yes, I know DNA can also be frustrating, and no, I wasn't fixated on finding cousins on the Puchała side of the family equation. I just decided to take my ProTools Shared Matches superpower out for a spin.
You can blame that little detour on an inspiration from a recent post by Dr. Rick Wilson of MyFamilyPattern.com. He urged: "Take a Genealogy Pause." I sure needed one.
The Wilson article drew from research on creativity. Since Dr. Wilson's academic focus is marketing, he did relate the blog post to his field, but I have spent nearly a lifetime pursuing just what it takes to make one "creative." And sometimes, its elusiveness is just what makes it seem so magical when we do find it.
It's times like that shower first thing in the morning, when our mind is still foggy from the previous night's dreams and we think we just let our brain wander on autopilot while we get ready for the day's events—when suddenly, this creative idea pops into our head. Taking our mind off the pressing details that drive us can become the time when our mind can thrive with creativity. Whether it's the drone of the white noise of a shower—or the ocean during a walk on the beach—somehow, when our mind disassociates itself from the rigors of work, it somehow simultaneously comes up with just the direction we need, the solution we were seeking.
My own genealogical "white noise" is cleaning up the neglected branches on my family tree. Often, it's also when I plug in new DNA cousins into their rightful place in the family constellation. It combines with a routine I've repeated so often, it now comes naturally. Other than checking verification from documentation, the process takes on a formulaic series of steps. Like knitting for some, I find it relaxing. Certainly much less taxing than pushing the limit on records availability for 1800s Poland—and then trying to decipher the foreign handwriting.
Though I've not much news to share for the effort, it's been a relaxing break, and I'll be ready to tackle those Puchałas after the weekend is over. In the meantime, a lot of new DNA matches have found their place in my family tree, a refreshing result, indeed.
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