Every brain has a processor – no doubt – to handle tasks management, compute and analyze, and make decisions based on what is input. But less known, is that all brains also have varying degrees of memory. And it’s the memory, or lack of it, that allows the brain to multitask.
Example: My beautiful wife has one heck of a processor, a powerful CPU that can handle varying tasks over multiple subjects, taking information and outputting results. She cannot, however, process more than one or two tasks at the same time – this is due to a lack of sufficient memory. Now don’t confuse memory with the ability to remember something, but rather, like a computer, the more memory you have installed the more programming you can do at once. She simply falls short in the memory category, and therefore, she can only tackle each problem as it comes — one at a time.
On the other hand, I have quite a lot of that multitasking memory. That ability to work with actors, while observing consistencies in lighting, considering the budget, thinking about the weather, and staying on the story is part of my making — I was born with it, and over time I have developed it. It serves me well as a producer/director on set. It serves the crew well in that I am not oblivious to their input, conscientious of their time. It serves the producers well in that they don’t have to panic over budget spikes and thoughtless “directorial whims”. Having this “gift”, this multitasking advantage, will continue to give me that professional and creative edge.
