A look inside Math and the Creative Process

This week, we’ll take a sneak peek into Ellen Eischen’s course, Math and the Creative Process, a class that gives students permission to stretch, experiment, and play as they explore the connections between math and creativity. Eischen, a William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching and a mathematician who loves bringing the arts into her work, builds an environment where students learn to trust each other, push past self-imposed limits, and try out new ways of thinking. Improvisational exercises (yes, the kind you might see in a theater warm‑up!) help everyone loosen up and discover unexpected approaches to solving problems.

The class recently welcomed a special guest: Jordan Ellenberg, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a former Princeton postdoc. Ellenberg is widely known for his contributions to both mathematics and public writing, with work appearing in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Wired. He is also the author of the bestselling books How Not to Be Wrong and Shape. His ability to connect mathematical ideas with broader cultural and intellectual themes highlights the many ways math can inform our understanding of the world.

During his visit, he discussed his own path: part mathematician, part writer, part explorer of ideas. He reminded students that while we don’t always land on tidy answers, the real magic comes from the process itself; the wandering, experimenting, and following the sparks that make your “soul sing.” It’s not the solved equation or the published book that matters most; it’s the work you do along the way.

He encouraged students to use their time at Princeton to explore widely: take that creative writing class, wander into a field that surprises you, let your interests cross-pollinate. His message echoed beautifully with Eischen’s approach to the course, an invitation to become not just experts in one discipline, but whole, curious humans who bring their full selves to whatever they pursue.

Together, Eischen and Ellenberg created a moment of inspiration for the class, a reminder that creativity and mathematics thrive in the same space, and that following what energizes you can lead to a deeply meaningful life and career.