Why boredom is a creative’s best friend

In a distraction-rich world, boredom is key to boundless creativity.

Boredom is a state of mind many try to avoid.

In a world where your attention is currency, distractions abound. The algorithms on every major social media site aim to take that time from you, the cost of using a “free” application.

As a creative, this is detrimental to your success.

You want to be bored. You want your mind to think of nothing but creating. You want your mind to wander when you can’t create anything.

Because some of your greatest work will come from boredom.

Distractions, distractions, distractions

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling with my own creative pursuits.

I wondered why I couldn’t sit down and do the work I wanted to do. Indulge in the very activities that give meaning to my life after working my 9 to 5. To solve the issue of attention, I set out to understand why I couldn’t focus.

I had to get honest with myself.

I was unable to muster the energy to create because I didn’t allow myself to be bored. I spent hours scrolling through Reels and Shorts, watching videos that piqued my interest even a little bit.

Before I knew it, I got nothing done.

Motivation is not enough to get you to create.

This is where boredom can help you defeat any creative block. But the key is you need to be bored. You need to allow your mind to wander and not overload your dopamine receptors with endless scrolling for hours on end.

Your first order of business is to stop all distractions.

You can’t multitask. Put the phone away. Turn off notifications. Mute all devices. Close the multitude of tabs you have opened. Block websites. Lock yourself in your room if you must.

The point is to only have the tools that will help you create.

Then, sit there until you either create or allow your mind to wander.

A schedule and time blocking will help here. You can set a time when you aren’t available to the world. Just an hour will suffice. Then, protect that time no matter what. Say no to as much as you can.

Don’t let yourself do anything but the task you set out to do.

It doesn’t matter if you get nothing done. If you stare at an empty page, at a blinking cursor, at a wall. Either you create or you are so bored you create.