Interview Reflection

 This interview with Nick Sayers explores how mathematics, art, and experience can intersect in unexpected ways. The insights offered here challenge the traditional understanding of mathematics and demonstrate how curiosity, materials, and imagination can inform both artistic expression and learning.

I felt like I was really bad at it.(00:06:00)

The part of Nick’s story that resonated with me the most was his reflection on how he believed he was “bad at maths” as a kid. Because he struggled with mental calculations, he started to think of himself as someone who is not very good at maths. This is how school experiences in the early years can have a big impact on how students think about themselves. Students often associate being “good at math” with being able to calculate quickly, and when they struggle with this, they begin to feel like they are not good enough.

What struck me as particularly interesting is that Nick went on to be very passionate about geometry, programming, and mathematical art. Nick’s experience shows that our early experiences at school are not necessarily an accurate reflection of our abilities. Struggling with one area of maths does not mean that someone is not a mathematical thinker.

It also makes me think about how often schools reduce maths to numbers and speed, rather than creativity, visual thinking, and problem-solving.

 

it was kind of maths by stealth, like, it was, you know, programming and logic and all these sorts of things are…

00:06:49

Nick’s use of the phrase “maths by stealth” has really stuck with me, as it challenged me to think about my own experiences with math. I had always thought that success in math was inextricably linked with speed, accuracy, and number sense. However, programming as Nick describes it provides a completely different point of entry, one that is based in logic, pattern recognition, and visual thinking rather than calculation. It made me wonder: How many students might connect with mathematics if they encountered it this way first?

Nick’s experience also caused me to think about how mathematics is presented in the classroom. When students have difficulties with arithmetic, are we unintentionally telling them that they are “bad at math”? Nick’s later experiences with geometry and mathematical art completely contradict this notion. It is a difficult tension to balance: is mathematics being reduced to numbers when, in fact, it is so much more?

This reflection resonates very strongly with my developing view as a teacher. I find myself asking: What kinds of mathematical thinking are we failing to see when we emphasize only the symbolic and procedural ways of thinking mathematically? Maybe embodied, visual, and exploratory ways of thinking are not alternatives to mathematics, but are instead crucial paths into mathematics.

Bicycle Spirograph (~35:29)

What really fascinated me was the concept of varying speed and gear to create different patterns. It was a way of making something artistic and mathematical. I started thinking about how many mathematical concepts we are exposed to every day without even realizing it.

This stop also made me think about teaching. It is a good example of how math does not have to start with formulas or pictures. It can come from motion, play, and observation. The fact that geometry is created from something as simple as riding a bike is a great way to show how math can be interesting and dynamic.

Sunlight Pattern (~1:10:59)

I paused here because I was fascinated by the idea that something as ordinary as sunlight could be harnessed to “draw” mathematics. Nick talks about how the sun's changing position throughout the seasons creates patterns, almost like a natural history of movement. It made me think about how mathematics can be found in observation rather than calculation.

The “Morse code effect” of the clouds and sunshine alternating was fascinating. It illustrates how irregular and interrupted things, things we might think of as flaws, can create their own patterns. It made me think about how mathematics is full of variation and rhythm, not just perfect geometric shapes.

What does this artist's work offer you in terms of understanding math-art connections, and what does it offer you as a math or science teacher?

Nick Sayers’ projects demonstrate to me that math and art are not disciplines to be learned in isolation but, in fact, interwoven approaches to understanding the world. By using a variety of designs and patterns, he illustrates how mathematical concepts such as pattern, symmetry, scale, and structure can be derived from observation. As a math or science educator, this inspires me to create more visual, kinaesthetic, and investigative learning experiences. It also inspires me to remember that students can learn math concepts through creativity, observation, and play, rather than just through equations and processes.