It Would Do You Well To Be Bored

We place a high value on having something to do, staying busy, and being entertained.  As a result we fill our time with activities, scroll through Facebook updates to "see what's going on", and play mindless games on our iPads.  We are constantly filling our minds in the name of productivity but really we have fallen for  one of the greatest myths of the 21st Century.

Boredom should be avoided.

As a parent I hear the "boredom complaint" from my kids and I am quick to offer resolutions.  However I'm not sure this is the best remedy.  When quick solutions to boredom are offered no real thinking has to be done.  When 2 friends, a ball, and boredom are involved the sky is the limit on the kind of games that can be created.  Boredom isn't something to be fixed or avoided it is the space that can begin to incubate the next fresh idea.

If we allow it, boredom can become an ally in our pursuit of creativity and fresh thinking.

Boredom, once thought to be the no-man's-land where ideas go to die, might really be the lab where things are tinkered with and new combinations are discovered.

The Migrating Artist

“We migrate, too.  We follow the Muse instead of the sun.  When one crop is picked, we hit the road and move on the next.”

-         Stephen Pressfield

Whether it is a new idea or endeavor, the artist frequently moves from one thing to the next.  The continual movement of the artist looks erratic, impulsive and poorly planned. 

Perhaps it is.

Yet the artist also knows that staying too long is impossible.  Just as soil cannot sustain the same crops through all seasons, inspiration cannot be mined without end at one local.  If the artist stays too long (past the point of insightful discovery) they find themselves in a sparse land.  Fruit no longer bearing.

When the place we have dwelt (physically, emotionally, or spiritually) no longer offers any creative edge in which we, the artist can dance, it becomes time to journey on.

Moving with the Muse takes courage.  It takes a deep level of self-awareness and a high inner-understanding to know when it’s time to dig deeper and when it’s time to pack up.  This discernment is not an easy task and it takes risk.  If the artist digs deeper and there is nothing discovered, the only thing excavated is their own insanity.  And if the artist moves on before it was time, then unfinished business becomes their new companion.

The complex nature of the migrating artist is not something to fear or something that can be easily distilled into simple terms.  Rather, it is to be seen as what is.  Migrating, wondering, and discovering are what it means to follow the Muse.

What an incredible journey before us.



The Mobility God (Mobility pt. 1)

Our Western culture prides itself in its capacity for movement and mobility. From the telling of our history, which includes the “discovery” of the West, to the speed at which we communicate with one another via social networking sites on the internet, our movement oriented culture thrives on conquest, achievement, and efficiency (just think about the names of the cars we produce in America: “Expedition”, “Explorer”, “Mustang”, “Voyager”).

The notion of “Upward Mobility” is hard-wired into us as individuals. Upward mobility suggests value in a movement towards something more; it fuels those who have “little” to achieve “more”, encouraging them on with progress, speed, and efficiency. An example of our desire for a life of upward mobility can be reflected when a young couple finds there first place to live.

Often a “starter home” (even this term suggests the need for progress towards something “better”) is smaller, modest. Possibly one’s first home, because of funds, is not purchased but rented; maybe even in an area of town that is viewed as less desirable because of crime, schools, etc. As the couple grows older, presumably makes more income, their ability to afford more by way of a house (as well as standard of living) increases. This causes them to leave their first home/apt and purchase something bigger and better (possibly leaving the area all together for a more “stable” community). The goal for the family is one of upward mobility (the hope that one day they will have the “house of their dreams”) and is made possible by an individual’s (or in this case, a couple’s) wealth, privilege, and power.

The philosophy of upward mobility also values speed and efficiency and can be seen in the way we communicate and process information. Telephones no longer exist to merely make connections from one household to another, instead each person has their own personal mobile phone that processes information (emails, web-surfing, news feeds, Facebook updates, etc) at lightning fast speed; yes, they still make phone calls as well. Further, the cost of the devices that make our fast exchange of information possible (iPhones, LCD TV’s, computers, etc) as well as the cost to manage/power our devices (mobile phone plans, internet plans, cable bills, etc) require a great deal of financial prosperity.

In short: our fascination with the mobile lifestyle is one that reflects a great deal of wealth, prosperity, and privilege.

Mobility as a value in our culture is not inherently bad, but I am wondering if there are any unwanted side effects of a mobile lifestyle.

Where else do you see our culture’s desire for “upward mobility”?
If a life of “upward mobility” is afforded by wealth, prosperity, and privilege what does this mean for the poor among us (are they able to live a life of “meaning”)?