Creativity needs quiet
Dare to be bored on a regular basis
When was the last time you sat in total silence?
More than that — when was the last time you sat (or perhaps, went for a walk or a drive) with that silence and enjoyed it?
I’m forever fascinated by the nuances of the creative life, and one that I’ve been thinking about is inspiration vs. distraction. When is screaming along to the full-length “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in my car a source of creative inspiration, and when is it a distraction? When is putting on an episode of Seinfeld while I cook dinner a source of comfort, and when is it a distraction? When is listening to a bookish podcast while I do repetitive tasks at my day job a goldmine of reading inspiration, and when is it a distraction?
You probably already know what my answer is — it depends. But because this is a newsletter where I’m trying to give you tangible, practical, doable guidelines for everyday creativity, here are some clear red flags (for me) that indicate a tip-over from creative inspiration to harried distraction.
I’m continually taking in some kind of media.
I realized recently that I’d fallen into the trap of always listening to something and/or looking at a screen. A sitcom while I’m doing the dishes, Red (Taylor’s Version) in the car for my commute, a reading podcast in the background while I’m working, a book on my Kindle while I’m styling my hair, quick peeks at my Twitter timeline and dms throughout the day. None of those things are bad, but the overwhelm of all of them, every day, all day, is too much. My brain doesn’t have time to process the stories it’s taking in, and not only do they start to run together, but I also don’t have the open mental space to make the connections I need to make for my own stories.
I start to feel frantic about “keeping up” with all the #content.
The pressure to be caught up on all of your favorite podcasts and the latest TV show everyone is talking about and the shiny new books hitting shelves this week and the movies from this Oscar season, etc. etc., is modern and absurd … but that doesn’t make it less real.
On a basic, human level we want to connect with other people over stories we love. As creatives, we don’t want to miss out on the inspiration and growth that comes from taking in great stories. I’m planning to talk more about this source of creative stress and what to do about it in a future newsletter, but for now, I’ll simply note that when stories become a source of stress instead of fun, comfort and inspiration, I know I need more quiet.
I stop having ideas.
When I stop having those moments of getting excited because I just got hit with a brand-new idea for a story or a newsletter that I want to explore, I know it’s time to return to quiet.
It’s a cliche that’s true — sometimes the best ideas happen when you’re in the shower. That’s because it’s one of the few times when we allow ourselves to be completely quiet and let our minds wander. For me, ideas tend to nudge me after 20 minutes or so of driving in silence, or when I’m taking a quiet walk, or even completing a mundane household task without music or a TV show on in the background.
I start noticing details in real life around me in a new way, or I retreat into a daydream that takes me out of the real world altogether. My mind has the space to meander and explore, making connections I didn’t realize were there, taking the time away from other people’s stories as an opportunity to start weaving new ones of my own.
Have you thought about what might happen if you let yourself have quiet moments throughout your day? Please consider it, and report back with what you find. You can reply to this email or any of my newsletters to reach me directly. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you (in respectful silence) around the inbox.