“The phone gives us a lot but it takes away three key elements of discovery: loneliness, uncertainty, and boredom. Those have always been where creative ideas come from.”
Try this simple experiment:
Go for a walk without your phone. Stand in line at the grocery store without looking at your phone. Eat your meals without your phone on the table. Go to bed without your phone in the room.
At first you may feel anxious (at least, I did). And then you may begin to embrace your own thoughts and find your mind wandering and daydreaming. You may have new ideas about a business, a place you’d like to visit, a recipe you’d like to try, a person you’d like to connect with. Trust the flow. It’s fun to see where our mind goes when we give it the freedom to wander.
I find it most fascinating when I ask myself bigger questions:
What’s one thing I could experiment living without for a week?
If I gave a 20 minute TED talk, what’s the message I’d love to share?
If I was asked to teach two Skillshare classes, what would I teach?
What are the top three most amazing experiences in my life so far?
How would I live a meaningful life if I was blind? Deaf? Paralyzed?
Who are my top 3 heroes? What do they have in common?
What are some topics I am disinterested in? How can I learn more about them in order to appreciate them?
Who am I fascinated by, and what qualities do they have?
We’ve all had plenty of input (social media, news, notifications, email). It’s fun to allow your mind to direct its own entertainment. Follow the flow of your ideas. Ride the wave. Put your hands up and surrender to the creative energy you naturally have within you.