There has been much discussion about the value of the “creative pause” – a state described as “the shift from being fully engaged in a creative activity to being passively engaged, or the shift to being disengaged altogether.” This phenomenon is the seed of the break-through “a-ha!” moments that people so frequently report having in the shower. In these moments, you are completely isolated, and your mind is able to wander and churn big questions without interruption.
However, despite the incredible
power and potential of sacred spaces, they are quickly becoming extinct. We are
depriving ourselves of every opportunity for disconnection. And our
imaginations suffer the consequences.
Why do we give up our sacred
space so easily? Because space is scary. During these temporary voids of
distraction, our minds return to the uncertainty and fears that plague all of
us. To escape this chasm of self-doubt and unanswered questions, you tune into
all of the activity and data for reassurance.
But this desperate need for
constant connection and stimulation is not a modern problem. We have always sought a state of constant connection from the dawn of time,
it’s just never been possible until now.
We are depriving ourselves of
every opportunity for disconnection.
The need to be connected is very basic, psychological theory explains that it is the largest and most fundamental human desires. Our need for a sense
of belonging comes right after physical safety. We thrive on friendship,
family, and the constant affirmation of our existence and relevance. Our
self-esteem is largely a product of our interactions with others.
It is now possible to always feel
loved and cared for, thanks to the efficiency of our “comment walls” on
Facebook and seamless connection with everyone we've ever known. Your
confidence and self-esteem can quickly be reassured by checking your number of
“followers” on Twitter or the number of “likes” garnered by your photographs
and blog posts. The traction you are getting in your projects, or with your
business, can now be measured and reported in real time.
Our insatiable need to tune into
information – at the expense of savoring our downtime – is a form of “work”
(something I call “insecurity work”) that we do to reassure ourselves.
So what’s the solution? How do we
reclaim our sacred spaces?
Soon enough, planes, trains,
subways, and even showers will offer the option of staying connected.
Knowing that we cannot rely on spaces that force us to unplug to survive much
longer, we must be proactive in creating these spaces for ourselves. And when
we have a precious opportunity to NOT be connected, we should develop the
capacity to use it and protect it.
Here are five potential mindsets
and solutions for consideration:
1. Rituals for unplugging.
Perhaps those in biblical times
knew what was in store for us when they created the Sabbath? The notion of a
day every week reserved for reflection has become more important than ever
before. It's about more than just refraining from work. It's about
unplugging. Perhaps you will reserve one day on the weekend where you
force yourself to disconnect? At first, such efforts will feel very uncomfortable.
You will deal with a bout of “connection withdrawal,” but stay with it.
2. Daily doses of deep thinking.
Perhaps “sacred space” is a new
life tenet that we must adopt in the 21st century? Since we know that
unplugging will only become more difficult over time, we will need to develop a
discipline for ourselves. Back in the day when the TV became a staple of every
American home, parents started mandating time for their children to read. “TV
time” became a controlled endeavor because, otherwise, it would consume every
waking moment. Now, every waking moment is “connected time,” and we need to
start controlling it.
We need some rules. When it comes
to scheduling, we will need to allocate blocks of time for deep thinking. Maybe
you will carve out a 1-2 hour block on your calendar every day for taking a
walk or grabbing a cup of coffee and just pondering some of those bigger
things. Imagine a day when homes and apartments have a special switch that shuts
down wi-fi and data access during dinner or at night - just to provide a
temporary pause from the constant flow of status updates and other
communications.
3. Meditation and naps to clear
the mind.
There is no better mental escape
from our tech-charged world than the act of meditation. If only for 15 minutes,
the ability to steer your mind away from constant stimulation is downright
liberating. There are various kinds of meditation. Some forms require you to
think about nothing and completely clear your mind. Other forms of meditation
are about focusing on one specific thing - often your breath, or a mantra that
you repeat in your head for 10-15 minutes. At first, any sort of meditation
will feel like a chore. But with practice, it will become an energizing
exercise.
If you can't adopt meditation,
you might also try clearing your mind the old fashioned way – by sleeping. The
legendary energy expert and bestselling author Tony Schwartz takes a 20-minute
nap every day. Even if it's a few hours before he presents to a packed
audience, he'll take a short nap. When asked how he overcomes the midday
anxiety enough to nap. His trick? "Practice," he said. Like all
skills that don't come naturally, practice makes perfect.
4. Self-awareness and psychological
investment.
Our most basic fears and desires,
both conscious and subconscious, are soothed by connectivity and a constant
flow of information. It is supremely important that we recognize the power of
our insecurities and, at the very least, acknowledge where our anxiety comes
from. Awareness is always the first step in solving any problem.
Retreats, workshops, programs that encourage and support this reflection
can be cathartic.
You would be surprised by how
many legendary creative leaders credited some form of therapy as a part of
their professional success. If you're willing to invest in it, then take the
plunge. Whatever you learn will help you understand your fears and the actions
you take as a result.
5. Protect the state of
no-intent.
When you're rushing to a
solution, your mind will jump to the easiest and most familiar path. But when
you allow yourself to just look out the window for 10 minutes – and ponder –
your brain will start working in a more creative way. It will grasp ideas from
unexpected places. It's this very sort of unconscious creativity that
leads to great thinking. When you're driving or showering, you're letting your
mind wander because you don’t have to focus on anything in particular. If you
do carve out some time for unobstructed thinking, be sure to free yourself from
any specific intent.
The potential of our own
creativity is rapidly being compromised by the era we live in. Genius in
the 21st century will be attributed to people who are able to unplug from the
constant state of reactionary workflow, reduce their amount
of insecurity work, and allow their minds to solve the great challenges of
our era. Brilliance is so rare because it is always obstructed, often by the
very stuff that keeps us so busy.
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