Yesterday I read an essay by @bhattg titled Lost in Screens: Why Modern Comfort Is Killing Our Creativity, and it got me thinking. His point was that our endless entertainment options have numbed us, leaving us too comfortable to be creative.
But in my case
It is the complete opposite.
My creativity does not grow in silence or boredom. It does not rise from staring at the ceiling like some monk in a cave. In my world, creativity is sparked by interaction. It comes from other people, from their ideas, their messiness, their opinions, and the random thoughts that collide with mine.
It is not boredom that lights up my brain.
It is people.
And that made me think: what were we actually doing in the 90s before the internet took over? Were we all sitting quietly, discovering inner truths and writing novels? No. We were glued to the TV. The TV was constantly on. People read newspapers, books, and magazines. We talked a bit more, yes, but it was not some Zen decade of pure solitude. Humans have never enjoyed being bored. Only rare individuals enjoy going into the mountains to live alone. The rest of us prefer connection.
If anything, social media did not replace boredom.
It replaced television.
That is probably why it is literally called social media. Before, entertainment was one-directional. You watched or read something and that was it. Now you can reply, comment, challenge someone’s ideas, or directly respond like I am doing right here. In the 90s, responding to someone’s thoughts would have required a letter or a phone call.
And for me, this interaction is exactly where creativity comes from.
I write so much now because I read so much. Other people’s essays spark ideas in my brain. TikTok videos, YouTube rabbit holes, random comments on Hive, they all work like little creative matches. Nothing forms in a vacuum for me. I need the spark from outside.
Even with art, I have noticed a pattern: a few months ago, I was watching a lot of art videos on TikTok and it made me draw constantly. When I stopped watching them, the creative urge disappeared. Maybe it is because of my aphantasia. I cannot visualize anything, so the inspiration has to come from something external that I can see.
But here is the thought that surprised even me:
If this works for creativity, can it work for money too?
I have never been obsessed with money. I do not have the natural hustle mindset. I do not think in financial strategy. Honestly, I kind of suck at it. But now I am wondering. Can I train my brain to care? If I start consuming content about money, investing, and business building, will it spark something the same way art videos do?
I am actually going to experiment for one month.
Not in a toxic hustle way, but simply to see if immersing myself in money related content shifts something in my mind. Because that is the one thing I am missing in my life. Actual cash flow.
So in my case modern screens have not killed my creativity.
They have multiplied it.
They have given me access to ideas, people, and perspectives I would never meet in real life. Even when I am not interacting face to face, reading someone’s thoughts is enough to flip a switch in my brain.
Creativity does not come from boredom for everyone.
Sometimes it comes from community.
Even a digital one.
We reflect what we surround ourselves with.
Boredom doesn't make people creative, but it can make people go out and surround themselves with something that inspires them. Kids need to be bored, otherwise they will not have the space to create. Boredom is space, a blank canvas. Fill it with inspiration and the creativity can breathe.
Possibly. I need far more external stimulus now, but it isn't anything that I need. Sitting in front of a screen does not inspire me to act, even if my head says "that might be fun". Being bored however means I will look for something that might be fun, rather than turn on the TV looking for a way to escape the feeling of boredom. Boredom is a gift, but we needn't be bored for very long if we are willing to act.
And yes, it will work with financial things too. Rich people tend to surround themselves with financial content in various forms, and discuss and think about it often. It is an interest of theirs. If you got interested in tennis, bought the equipment, got a coach, played regularly and practices, you would improve. You stop playing, stop surrounding yourself with tennis, you will degrade.
This is just human nature.
If you want to have something particular in your life, surround yourself with the content that keeps it in your awareness, and perform the actions that lead toward having it.
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