Hello friends! It’s Janine from JSK Stories. I’m excited to share with you today’s Creativity Lesson: Find Time to Be Quiet.
One of the greatest inventions of the modern day is the headphones. I love them. They have made it possible to listen to music, or watch videos, or any number of noisy things whenever I want. Which means I have them in my ears all the time – including right now!
However, I have noticed that if I fill every minute of my day with sound – even sound that I love and enjoy – then the creative voice inside me starts to get quiet. And hard to hear. Because, the truth of the matter is, creativity needs some quiet.
Does this mean you can never listen to anything? Of course not! But if you want to open up a path to inspiration – to your creative voice – then you need to set aside some time to listen. Because creativity is quiet. It doesn’t tend to shout. It whispers into your mind and heart. And if you are constantly listening to other sources, you’re going to miss out.
I find that all of my best ideas happen in the quiet. When I give creativity the respect of time and silence, she is always willing to share something good.
So…looking for some inspiration? Trying to solve a creative problem? Suffering from creative block? Give yourself the gift of quiet.
Which brings us to today’s creativity challenge!
Creativity Challenge: Will you try something today? Find 10-15 minutes where you can be alone. Turn off everything – your TV, your computer, your Spotify – whatever makes noise. And listen. You can sit quietly or, if that weirds you out, try going on a walk. Or stream of consciousness writing. Or anything that doesn’t require any focus or real attention. See where your mind takes you.
It might go some odd places, which is totally fine. It may say nothing interesting at all, which is also fine. Or it may whisper an idea. A thought. A question. If it does, write it down. Don’t judge it. Or try to develop it. Simply record it and then go back to your silence. And see what else happens.
Want to share what you learned? You can submit your thoughts here. Who knows, we just might share it in an upcoming video.