Is your favorite movie Stranger Than Fiction? Because my favorite movie is stranger Stranger Than Fiction and it lands smack dab in the middle of your thesis and your time frame. Harold Crick is the epitome of the problem and his salvation is the saving of us all
I totally agree that boredom or lack of tasks is essential to creativity … my morning dog walk along the beautiful River Wye is a form of meditation for me… and when my children were young I would give them plenty of unorganized free time unlike my friends who filled every moment with clubs or structured activity. My kids would produce puppet plays to entertain us at 8am or write newspapers with real articles and pictures ( my son is now a journalist and my daughter a creative director) I’m glad we gave them the space to discover who they were. They’re great adults now and I pursue my creative journey in blissful retirement. Thanks for your thoughtful article. I’m trying to scroll less and have joined a book group!
Cheers to that! A few recommendations to build on the theme: The Idler Academy, a magazine and group dedicated to "fun, freedom and fulfillment", (https://www.idler.co.uk), Ted Gioia's Substack, The Honest Broker, in particular this essay on the dopamine culture, (https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024?), but any of his brilliant analysis on the decline of creativity, particularly in the music industry.
Agreed. The joy of boredom and watching clouds pass. In my experience, all creative work (e.g., at this stage of the civ cycle - human work) begins and ends with a good, long walk. As an American of apparently diminishing creativity, may I also suggest the migration to the suburb as some serious factor. A man can leg it for days in a good city or roaming the fields. Not so in suburban purgatory.
This is spot on. I have one boy who is constantly creative writing to wind down (he's in the throes of gcse's) and another who fears boredom, but used to draw to self regulate after a day at school. They're both autistic and need decompression time when they get home. Eldest is also a bible reader like the other commenter on here. I have developed my own internal regulatory system and I seem to know when I need to dial back from the world. I've just got back into running (my karate training had kinda taken over) and I'm doing it without music, just my own thoughts ("I can't breathe" 🤣). I need silence and contemplation time. Oh and I've tried reading some of those reimagined novels, the one about Achilles. It was rubbish. Couldn't finish it. Waste of my hard earned. It went to the church book sale 😂
I haven't, I'll look it up. I'm autistic as well and I definitely know when I've had enough. The TV is off today. Enjoy the sunshine (with a beverage of your choice 😉)
Ha! Thank you, mate. I might do a piece on my morning routine. It involves espresso, cigarettes, and writing by hand. Weirdly, I don't feel the need to film myself doing it! A fun book is Daily Rituals. Picasso even allocated time for his lovers!
This culture is driving us all mad. I'm glad more and more people remember what it was like before and how it could once again be.
I loved this article and the sentiment of the graffito. As a Gen Xer, I was constantly told to play outside, to play the piano, to read a book, or do some art. I never had a problem with creativity or filling time, and often delved into creative worlds - never needing approval or feedback. Process was king.
I turned off the Internet a few weeks ago and delved once again into just being. I was perfectly content in the garden with my thoughts, walking a friend's dog, reading an unfinished book, painting a new nude, or cooking a comforting family favourite. I felt productive - like I was tending to my corner of the world, able to reemerge with a calmer presence.
To me, doom scrolling causes anxiety and I feel hugely unproductive. While I feel a need to know what is going on in the world, it is very depressing atm. I've found that instead of news articles, I much prefer reading commentary like this - thought-provoking words that allow me to sit and contemplate the quiet and let the ideas flow. Thank you 😊.
I love this comment. I remember those days. Living with intention. Finding things to do and discovering new things! I'm convinced this time is an aberration. It's driving us all crazy. It cannot last!
“Do strangers like my plagiarised little witticism? Fifteen likes! Ugh. This is what heroin must feel like.”. Exactly. Great essay! Nice reminder to pick my head up right here in the real world and engage.
On a related note, I read a book by Johann Hari about never giving ourselves downtime to turn all the data we are shoving in our heads into some kind of usable information. Same issue, but different delusion… “but it is not frivolous, it is very intellectual scholarly info.” No quiet downtime means no connections between all the bits of data.
All that usable information shoving with no down time…I get like that with books—always something new to be learned! ‘So many books, so little time!’ And yet, time must be made for absorption and reflection…
Before I retired I had a one-hour drive to work. It was an easy drive since I live in a rural area and commuted to an even more remote rural area, so I wasn't constantly frustrated by traffic, missed traffic lights, etc. In short, the drive was boring. Also there was no cell phone reception for more than half the drive. So what did I do? I thought. No music, no podcasts, nothing but the engine and the road noise. And almost every drive yielded a poem or story idea which I would jot down immediately upon arrival at my destination. Not every idea was a keeper, but I found I was producing enough content to take my Substack to once a week publishing.
Then I retired. No more commute. I filled the time with podcasts, music, online articles, streamed movies and TV shows...and had damn few ideas. The ideas I did have came when I was outside working on my property doing work that was physically demanding but not mentally demanding. My output declined. I was at a loss.
So I stopped being on line so much. More reading, more sitting and thinking. More doing nothing. And guess what? My creative output has gone back up.
You're spot on with this article. Boredom is underrated.
I eschewed college (even though I qualified for a National Merit Scholarship) because it seemed stultifying. What? Jump through academic hoops so you can earn a good degree so you can jump through corporate hoops your whole life long? No thanks. I worked instead as a building contractor and I found my favorite job was digging ditches. Somehow the mindlessness of digging ditches freed my imagination more than anything I ever experienced. Unfortunately the higher up you get, the less ditches you get to dig.
Fortunately now I’m retired and I can dig to my hearts desire
Glad to hear it, mate. I 'go on the internet' like we did as kids. Then I return to my real life. I recommend both 'Solitude' by Anthony Storr and Daily Rituals. Illuminating!
I agree. I read my Bible every morning. I don't race through it to check a box on my reading plan. I think about what I've read. I contemplate it. No background music. Silence. Listening for God, who speaks to my heart. Jesus went daily to pray by Himself. No phone, no media player. Silence, so he could hear what His Father would speak to His heart. Daily, I lie in bed with no noise but the sound of my wife's breathing and the little brown noise generator in the background. I let my mind wander freely. My imagination soars. We have way too much programming in our Western lives. We need to back away from that. I enjoyed your article.
Wonderful. Yes, there's a difference between living with intention and 'being productive.' By all accounts, I'm 'productive' but in stuff I value and want to do!
In his essay, The Catastrophe of Success, Tennessee Williams lays it out for me. Living intentionally is not the same as 'being productive.'
Here is the last paragraph:
“Then what is good? The obsessive interest in human affairs, plus a certain amount of compassion and moral conviction, that first made the experience of living something that must be translated into pigment or music or bodily movement or poetry or prose or anything that's dynamic and expressive—that's what's good for you if you're at all serious in your aims. William Saroyan wrote a great play on this theme, that purity of heart is the one success worth having. "In the time of your life—live!" That time is short, and it doesn't return again. It is slipping away while I write this and while you read it, the monosyllable of the clock is Loss, loss, loss, unless you devote your heart to its opposition.”
Is your favorite movie Stranger Than Fiction? Because my favorite movie is stranger Stranger Than Fiction and it lands smack dab in the middle of your thesis and your time frame. Harold Crick is the epitome of the problem and his salvation is the saving of us all
I totally agree that boredom or lack of tasks is essential to creativity … my morning dog walk along the beautiful River Wye is a form of meditation for me… and when my children were young I would give them plenty of unorganized free time unlike my friends who filled every moment with clubs or structured activity. My kids would produce puppet plays to entertain us at 8am or write newspapers with real articles and pictures ( my son is now a journalist and my daughter a creative director) I’m glad we gave them the space to discover who they were. They’re great adults now and I pursue my creative journey in blissful retirement. Thanks for your thoughtful article. I’m trying to scroll less and have joined a book group!
Cheers to that! A few recommendations to build on the theme: The Idler Academy, a magazine and group dedicated to "fun, freedom and fulfillment", (https://www.idler.co.uk), Ted Gioia's Substack, The Honest Broker, in particular this essay on the dopamine culture, (https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-state-of-the-culture-2024?), but any of his brilliant analysis on the decline of creativity, particularly in the music industry.
Agreed. The joy of boredom and watching clouds pass. In my experience, all creative work (e.g., at this stage of the civ cycle - human work) begins and ends with a good, long walk. As an American of apparently diminishing creativity, may I also suggest the migration to the suburb as some serious factor. A man can leg it for days in a good city or roaming the fields. Not so in suburban purgatory.
This is spot on. I have one boy who is constantly creative writing to wind down (he's in the throes of gcse's) and another who fears boredom, but used to draw to self regulate after a day at school. They're both autistic and need decompression time when they get home. Eldest is also a bible reader like the other commenter on here. I have developed my own internal regulatory system and I seem to know when I need to dial back from the world. I've just got back into running (my karate training had kinda taken over) and I'm doing it without music, just my own thoughts ("I can't breathe" 🤣). I need silence and contemplation time. Oh and I've tried reading some of those reimagined novels, the one about Achilles. It was rubbish. Couldn't finish it. Waste of my hard earned. It went to the church book sale 😂
Yes. I'd be unsurprised to learn that our Always Online culture produces such symptoms in those undiagnosed with autism/adhd.
Have you read 'Solitude' by Anthony Storr? Please do.
I haven't, I'll look it up. I'm autistic as well and I definitely know when I've had enough. The TV is off today. Enjoy the sunshine (with a beverage of your choice 😉)
I have traits. Noise drives me potty. I could live on a desert island with a volleyball for company!
Mr. Gage, you continue to impress and refine yourself. What is your morning routine???
All jokes aside, this was a pungent read, and a stark reminder to chill the fuck out, turn off, and just be. It's where actual things happen.
Ha! Thank you, mate. I might do a piece on my morning routine. It involves espresso, cigarettes, and writing by hand. Weirdly, I don't feel the need to film myself doing it! A fun book is Daily Rituals. Picasso even allocated time for his lovers!
This culture is driving us all mad. I'm glad more and more people remember what it was like before and how it could once again be.
I loved this article and the sentiment of the graffito. As a Gen Xer, I was constantly told to play outside, to play the piano, to read a book, or do some art. I never had a problem with creativity or filling time, and often delved into creative worlds - never needing approval or feedback. Process was king.
I turned off the Internet a few weeks ago and delved once again into just being. I was perfectly content in the garden with my thoughts, walking a friend's dog, reading an unfinished book, painting a new nude, or cooking a comforting family favourite. I felt productive - like I was tending to my corner of the world, able to reemerge with a calmer presence.
To me, doom scrolling causes anxiety and I feel hugely unproductive. While I feel a need to know what is going on in the world, it is very depressing atm. I've found that instead of news articles, I much prefer reading commentary like this - thought-provoking words that allow me to sit and contemplate the quiet and let the ideas flow. Thank you 😊.
I love this comment. I remember those days. Living with intention. Finding things to do and discovering new things! I'm convinced this time is an aberration. It's driving us all crazy. It cannot last!
“Do strangers like my plagiarised little witticism? Fifteen likes! Ugh. This is what heroin must feel like.”. Exactly. Great essay! Nice reminder to pick my head up right here in the real world and engage.
On a related note, I read a book by Johann Hari about never giving ourselves downtime to turn all the data we are shoving in our heads into some kind of usable information. Same issue, but different delusion… “but it is not frivolous, it is very intellectual scholarly info.” No quiet downtime means no connections between all the bits of data.
Thought provoking as always, sir!
All that usable information shoving with no down time…I get like that with books—always something new to be learned! ‘So many books, so little time!’ And yet, time must be made for absorption and reflection…
Yes. I was guilty of that. Your brain needs to rest. We are not machines! Have you read 'Daily Rituals'? An inspiring book. Living with intention!
No, but I will check it out. Thanks for the tip!
Excellent observations.
Before I retired I had a one-hour drive to work. It was an easy drive since I live in a rural area and commuted to an even more remote rural area, so I wasn't constantly frustrated by traffic, missed traffic lights, etc. In short, the drive was boring. Also there was no cell phone reception for more than half the drive. So what did I do? I thought. No music, no podcasts, nothing but the engine and the road noise. And almost every drive yielded a poem or story idea which I would jot down immediately upon arrival at my destination. Not every idea was a keeper, but I found I was producing enough content to take my Substack to once a week publishing.
Then I retired. No more commute. I filled the time with podcasts, music, online articles, streamed movies and TV shows...and had damn few ideas. The ideas I did have came when I was outside working on my property doing work that was physically demanding but not mentally demanding. My output declined. I was at a loss.
So I stopped being on line so much. More reading, more sitting and thinking. More doing nothing. And guess what? My creative output has gone back up.
You're spot on with this article. Boredom is underrated.
I eschewed college (even though I qualified for a National Merit Scholarship) because it seemed stultifying. What? Jump through academic hoops so you can earn a good degree so you can jump through corporate hoops your whole life long? No thanks. I worked instead as a building contractor and I found my favorite job was digging ditches. Somehow the mindlessness of digging ditches freed my imagination more than anything I ever experienced. Unfortunately the higher up you get, the less ditches you get to dig.
Fortunately now I’m retired and I can dig to my hearts desire
Glad to hear it, mate. I 'go on the internet' like we did as kids. Then I return to my real life. I recommend both 'Solitude' by Anthony Storr and Daily Rituals. Illuminating!
This is why I've never listened to music while walking (or running back when I ran). It distracted me from primo thinking time.
I listen to classical during walks. Not so much in the countryside. Definitely here in London.
I agree. I read my Bible every morning. I don't race through it to check a box on my reading plan. I think about what I've read. I contemplate it. No background music. Silence. Listening for God, who speaks to my heart. Jesus went daily to pray by Himself. No phone, no media player. Silence, so he could hear what His Father would speak to His heart. Daily, I lie in bed with no noise but the sound of my wife's breathing and the little brown noise generator in the background. I let my mind wander freely. My imagination soars. We have way too much programming in our Western lives. We need to back away from that. I enjoyed your article.
Ah. I miss the quiet nothing of rural life. (I live in London. Even 3 a.m. is marred by sound.)
Wonderful. Yes, there's a difference between living with intention and 'being productive.' By all accounts, I'm 'productive' but in stuff I value and want to do!
In his essay, The Catastrophe of Success, Tennessee Williams lays it out for me. Living intentionally is not the same as 'being productive.'
Here is the last paragraph:
“Then what is good? The obsessive interest in human affairs, plus a certain amount of compassion and moral conviction, that first made the experience of living something that must be translated into pigment or music or bodily movement or poetry or prose or anything that's dynamic and expressive—that's what's good for you if you're at all serious in your aims. William Saroyan wrote a great play on this theme, that purity of heart is the one success worth having. "In the time of your life—live!" That time is short, and it doesn't return again. It is slipping away while I write this and while you read it, the monosyllable of the clock is Loss, loss, loss, unless you devote your heart to its opposition.”
― Tennessee Williams