“When everything changes from one second to the next” is a common phrase that expresses moments of important encounters or fateful events. It highlights the creative - even life-changing - potential that lies dormant within even the smallest units of time, both in a positive and a negative sense.

But being intentionally creative in just a few seconds - how is that even possible?

Some experts develop extraordinary skills when they have to react very quickly - simultaneous interpreters, boxers, or even artists.

Interestingly, even some of the brief everyday actions we perform almost unconsciously - such as tying our shoes or locking the door - are based on the same phenomenon. What could it be? Listen to my new episode.

Sources:

About Elvira Hufschmid:

BAS. (2017). Out of the Blue. From the Provisional to Improvisation. International Symposium, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin. https://www.udk-berlin.de/forschung/bas/aktuelles/out-of-the-blue-vom-provisorium-bis-zur-improvisation/. 

About Elvira Hufschmid (in german):

Margit Schild (2025): Improvisation und Kreativität in Zeitkrisen, oder: Macht (Zeit-)Not erfinderisch? Ein Anstoß zur Diskussion, in: 

Dürkop-Henseling, L.; Horwitz, M; Späte, K. (Hrsg.): Sozialwissenschaftliche Beobachtungen von Krisen, Perspektiven, Instrumente und Erfahrungen. Reihe Sozialwissenschaften und Berufspraxis, herausgegeben vom Berufsverband Deutscher Soziologinnen und Soziologen e. V., Recklinghausen, Springer, Wiesbaden, S. 421

Sound: 

R19-02-Boxing Fight or Sparring.wav by craigsmith -- https://freesound.org/s/483261/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

Music: 

spacedust by airtone (c) copyright 2022 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. https://dig.ccmixter.org/files/airtone/64741