Maria Konnikova is a writer living in New York City, where she works on an assortment of non-fiction and fiction. Her first book, inspired by the “Lessons from Sherlock Holmes” series that she wrote for Scientific American, will be published by Viking in 2013. She writes the weekly "Literally Psyched" column for Scientific American, where she explores the intersection of literature and psychology, and formerly wrote the popular psychology blog "Artful Choice" for Big Think. Maria graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she studied psychology, creative writing, and government, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Psychology at Columbia University. Before returning to school, she worked as a producer for the Charlie Rose show on PBS. This column's title is taken from a commencement address delivered at Dartmouth College, in July 1989, by one of Maria's favorite writers, Joseph Brodsky -- a reflection on the power of boredom, repetition, and the commonplace to spur the mind to great heights of creative achievement. Most mornings, Maria can be found in a yoga studio. Most afternoons, she can be found writing, reading, or conducting definitive explorations into the workings of the human mind. Follow Maria on Twitter @mkonnikova and read more of her writing on her website, www.mariakonnikova.com.