An article in the New York
Times entitled Insomnia and the Poet truly struck me. Lisa Russ Spaar declared she was "as
grateful for the ameliorating advances of sleep scientists as I am for the
revelations of a host of poets who manage to make art, if not meaning, out of
sleeplessness." Sparr proposed that
while sleeplessness was indeed a debilitating affliction, she was also grateful
for the surges of creativity that were spawned out of a restless mind.
As a victim of
sleeplessness this week, I tested this hypothesis. I am generally a creative person- I love
poetry, enjoy sketching, go to Brooklyn and I instagram (first joke in this
blog, applause). So, I thought that my
temporary split insomniac personality would without a doubt conjure up some
deep wisdom. Much to my dismay, I was
wide awake, thoughts racing- but not about poetry or philosophy- but about what
I would eat the next day, calling my mother, and whether or not it would be
warm enough to not wear tights. The next
morning I was tired and disappointed in how unproductive my sleeplessness was.
I am always looking for the spare moment where I can let my stream of
awesomeness ooze out of me, reflected in beautiful lines of poetry.
So why do I feel like it
is an assignment? This is where my infinite wisdom kicked in:
Creativity is not born out
of allotted time constraints, or constant ruminating- it is as spontaneous as
it is calculated. What I mean by calculated is: consciously viewing regular and
mundane instances through a different lens- not forcefully but
introspectively. Just like any other
muscle, our creative juices need pumping! I found myself at my desk this
morning feeling tired and dejected but with a newfound goal: be consistent with
my creative side. This is not a discovery of a new chromosome but it is
something I believe people in this dynamic age struggle with materializing.
This is a creative age. So whether it is on the subway, grocery store or in a
room full of candles and Zen music, engage your mind to its full potential. It
doesn't have to be writing. All in all- I am committed. Tapping into my creative
edge is not like going to the gym or eating broccoli. I will take baby steps
toward letting my inner Socrates/Neruda out.
As a victim of sleeplessness this week, I tested this hypothesis. I am generally a creative person- I love poetry, enjoy sketching, go to Brooklyn and I instagram (first joke in this blog, applause). So, I thought that my temporary split insomniac personality would without a doubt conjure up some deep wisdom. Much to my dismay, I was wide awake, thoughts racing- but not about poetry or philosophy- but about what I would eat the next day, calling my mother, and whether or not it would be warm enough to not wear tights. The next morning I was tired and disappointed in how unproductive my sleeplessness was. I am always looking for the spare moment where I can let my stream of awesomeness ooze out of me, reflected in beautiful lines of poetry.
So why do I feel like it is an assignment? This is where my infinite wisdom kicked in:
Creativity is not born out of allotted time constraints, or constant ruminating- it is as spontaneous as it is calculated. What I mean by calculated is: consciously viewing regular and mundane instances through a different lens- not forcefully but introspectively. Just like any other muscle, our creative juices need pumping! I found myself at my desk this morning feeling tired and dejected but with a newfound goal: be consistent with my creative side. This is not a discovery of a new chromosome but it is something I believe people in this dynamic age struggle with materializing. This is a creative age. So whether it is on the subway, grocery store or in a room full of candles and Zen music, engage your mind to its full potential. It doesn't have to be writing. All in all- I am committed. Tapping into my creative edge is not like going to the gym or eating broccoli. I will take baby steps toward letting my inner Socrates/Neruda out.
So why do I feel like it is an assignment? This is where my infinite wisdom kicked in:
Creativity is not born out of allotted time constraints, or constant ruminating- it is as spontaneous as it is calculated. What I mean by calculated is: consciously viewing regular and mundane instances through a different lens- not forcefully but introspectively. Just like any other muscle, our creative juices need pumping! I found myself at my desk this morning feeling tired and dejected but with a newfound goal: be consistent with my creative side. This is not a discovery of a new chromosome but it is something I believe people in this dynamic age struggle with materializing. This is a creative age. So whether it is on the subway, grocery store or in a room full of candles and Zen music, engage your mind to its full potential. It doesn't have to be writing. All in all- I am committed. Tapping into my creative edge is not like going to the gym or eating broccoli. I will take baby steps toward letting my inner Socrates/Neruda out.
Creativity is not born out of allotted time constraints, or constant ruminating- it is as spontaneous as it is calculated. What I mean by calculated is: consciously viewing regular and mundane instances through a different lens- not forcefully but introspectively. Just like any other muscle, our creative juices need pumping! I found myself at my desk this morning feeling tired and dejected but with a newfound goal: be consistent with my creative side. This is not a discovery of a new chromosome but it is something I believe people in this dynamic age struggle with materializing. This is a creative age. So whether it is on the subway, grocery store or in a room full of candles and Zen music, engage your mind to its full potential. It doesn't have to be writing. All in all- I am committed. Tapping into my creative edge is not like going to the gym or eating broccoli. I will take baby steps toward letting my inner Socrates/Neruda out.
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