Are You Bored Yet?

Boredom is Fuel for Creativity

The other day my best friend took me on an adventure.  She had an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar.  I went along, because it gave me an excuse to step away from editing and maybe get some pretzel bites. While sitting, waiting, twiddling, fidgeting, thumbing, and staring, I discovered that I entered the borders of boredom. I found my mind wandering and my eyes observing.  It wasn’t while I was checking my phone or chatting with my friend that I was in the magical and mythical state, it was when I wasn’t doing anything.

I visited the kingdom of boredom again not long after leaving the Apple store while standing in line at the Zagg kiosk.  While visiting, my friend also seemed to have ventured in and started people watching.  She observed the action taking place at the adjacent hand cream kiosk where a young man was in pursuit of beautiful women.  My friend had me in stitches as she narrated the predator-prey activity like an episode of “Nature Watch” on the Discovery Channel. We spent three hours in the boredom kingdom and it did wonders for my imagination and creativity.

There are numerous blogs and articles that discuss the benefits of boredom. There have even been studies on it, supporting the hypothesis that boredom actually makes you more productive and creative. Think about it. Do you really get your greatest ideas scrolling through the internet or do they come while sitting still and watching a tree reach down to tickle the flowers in the wind? Do you get great ideas watching Netflix, or do you get them listening to your house creek and complain when the seasons change? I would submit to you that there were some benefits to typing or handwriting your stories because you don’t get distracted by that internet browser button.

American philosopher, Robert M. Pirsig, said, “Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.” Some believe that boredom leads to sin or that it’s something that we must avoid, but the days that my children come to me and whine, “I’m bbbbooooooorrrrreeeeedddd,” I quietly celebrate and respond, “Good.” It’s in those subtle and fleeting moments that sparks fly, that our minds are working, and that you will see your characters come alive. Challenge yourself to have a bored moment daily. It will be good for your physical and mental health, sense of humor, and for your writing.

Tell me about your favorite places to be bored below in the comments or what you do to help your creative juices flow. If you are ready to introduce any of those characters in your stories to the world and are looking for an editor to help you through the publishing process, I am here to help. Check me out at https://editsbystacey.com.

Whatever you do, keep writing, because there is only one you that can share your unique perspective.