“Only boring people get bored.” Ever heard that? Well it’s WRONG. Lemme explain…

I watched a video essay the other day. Its theme was something about the creativity of today. And by that, I obviously mean the lack of.

The key thing that I took away from said video essay, and what I keep thinking back to, and what I keep bringing up to people… is the fact that these days, NOW, no one is ever bored. Like, it’s really impossible.

No one has the time to be bored? No one has the room to be bored?

No one can be bored because we all have constant access to everything, ever, always in our hand. Or at least within our hand’s reach.

The smartphone is the reason why every ‘creative’ thing produced now is rubbish*. Lightbulb. Because no one has the time or room or whatever to just sit and be bored and therefore call on their imagination. Another lightbulb.

*(Yeah I know, not every thing, and who am I to say that, etc.)

How can people have good ideas when they’re constantly consuming something - anything - else? It kind of only just dawned on me that when I’m brushing my teeth, I actually don’t need to have my eyes and/or ears full of some kind of content. I don’t need a podcast or a playlist to soundtrack my showers.

I don’t need to be that entertained. I can give my mind, my thoughts, my imagination room to breathe. I need to. I’m going to.

Surely it’s because of all that, that films are all remakes or live-action versions or just rubbish now. (I still know, not all.) And why all the songs that are given the most attention now, are all sampling actually good songs from the 80s or whatever. Or the ‘artist’ being interviewed about their ‘creative process’ just says they Google “vibey drum beat backing whatever jargon” and use what they find.

They don’t actually create something new themself??? Lol no.

Surely it’s also because everything is instant now too. Everything happens immediately. So we expect everything to happen immediately. But that’s stupid… why make something good when you can make something NOW?

I must say, I don’t like feeling like I’m pretending to be some kind of expert on this. Or anything. Obvs not. That’s not my point. My point is that something that someone else said (in their content that I was consuming when I should have been asleep…) has triggered a series of lightbulb moments for me. And I’m grateful to have seen the light.

I’m also not wanting to sound all negative and pessimistic and nihilist (??? is it that?) about it all. Au contraire. I’m feeling positive and motivated.

I’m grateful for the moments of lightbulb illumination. Because of them, I’m going to - and already have, really - make changes to my daily habits. I’m allowing myself chances to be bored.

I don’t need silences and adverts and waiting rooms to be filled with content from someone else. What I do need is time with my own content. My own ideas.

I’m pleased with the changes I’ve made and stuck to so far. My screentime was down 43% last week. And already I’m noticing improvements to life overall. The day-to-day.

I’m falling asleep (something I’ve always struggled with) a lot quicker and with much less noise whizzing around in my head. I’m also spending more time on more ‘worthy’ hobbies. I’ve read more books this month than I have done in the previous seven months of this year put together. And I’m being consistent with regular exercise.

By reducing the % of my day spent on a smartphone screen, I’m no longer engulfed by the endless scrolling. I have much more motivation to do other things. The other things that I want to take up space in my day.

But still not fill it entirely!

I am of course, and crucially, giving myself time to be alone with my thoughts. There’s much more of a balance, you could say. A balance between input, output, and ‘noput’.

Input

I’m inputting more of a range of content. Sure, still some social media scrolling. But also much more reading than before.

Also new interests, like video essays. Like blogposts. Like substacks. Like listening to the radio. Watching films or series, and actually watching them.

So I’m able to ‘feed my brain’ with more ‘nutrient-dense’ media, rather than the ‘empty calories’ like before.

Noput

By taking time to be bored and be totally sans stimulus, I have my ‘noput’.

I can think. I can imagine. I can follow a train of thought. And actually see where it goes. I can meditate. I can not think. I can give my mind a rest. I can watch a bird out the window and wonder what he’s thinking.

Surely by activating my own content, my thoughts, rather than relying on someone else’s, it’s like I’m exercising a muscle. And the more I do it, the more likely I am to end up with a big juicy imagination.

Output

Which brings me to the output. After training the muscle of my mind, both flexing and relaxing it, I’m in a far better position to be creative.

I feel less overwhelmed, lost, frantic. I’m able to put pen to paper. Or fingers to keyboard. And actually find I have something to write. Something to say. Something to think.

This ‘something’ doesn’t have to be groundbreaking. But by being bored and having time to imagine, I can create. Myself.

By finding this trio of balance, I can do more meaningful things with my time.

And I think it is the ‘noput’ that is crucial. The gamechanger. This time spent nurturing my mind, my thoughts, my own creativity.

That’s why I think being bored is good for you. For us. And why I’d encourage everyone to not only put their phone down more, but also to stop themselves from picking something else up in its place. Wanna give it a try?