Put down your phone
This fascinating podcast episode, Want to be creative? Try getting bored, touches at one of the things I was getting at with Son of Shadow Hero of Light. It's less than 10 minutes, so it's really easy to listen to. It talks about how people get distracted so much with their phones that they lose creativity.
It also talks about how kids are learning to never be bored because if they feel the slightest twinge of boredom, they immediately turn to their phone or iPad. They're conditioning themselves to not have original thoughts, but to constantly be fed thoughts externally. That sounds dangerous.
Personally, I use technology to curb my creative ideas. It sounds funny, but I used to drive to work in silence, walk to school in silence, etc. This was great for brilliant ideas. I had so many ideas, that I practically drove my wife crazy because I'd come home every few days excited about my newest idea that would change the world. Not only did it tire her out, but I never got around to any of those.
I'm not saying it's bad to have lots of new ideas even if they come to nothing, but I noticed that it was hard to focus on my current project with all those "great" ideas. So now I usually drive to work listening to audiobooks or podcasts (and I'm not in school anymore). Now and then I'll drive in silence and my thoughts seem to be more focused on my current project. So I get great ideas that help me move forward with my project.
When I'm ready to start thinking about other projects, I'll drive in silence for a while and the ideas start to flood in. Not all in one day or even the first week, but a little bit at a time, great ideas come.
So I use distraction as like a dam or a floodgate. When I'm ready for a flood, I remove the distractions.
What has technology done to your creativity?
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