That Counter-Cultural Somersault

I’ve concluded that it’s not the writing that’s difficult. What is difficult is making and maintaining space in our lives in which creativity can occur.

I've concluded that it's not the writing that’s difficult. What is difficult is making and maintaining space in our lives in which creativity can occur. Share on X

Creative work isn’t necessarily difficult. Such effort is a matter of tenacity, the acquisition of a skill––not unlike learning to play the piano, leaning French, or learning to weld. But creative work requires two elements: 1) focused attention on a task and 2) solitude. Our culture does not promote either of these. There are a hundred demands for our attention at any given moment and antidotes for being alone are just as plentiful. We have come to believe the myth that multitasking is not only possible, but a desirable skill. Being alone is seen as a state to be avoided, and boredom has been all but eliminated from our experience.

Great results can come from being alone and bored. Focused attention on a task allows for deep learning. Solitude reduces stress and allows us to hear past all the noise our society generates. And this is the space in which creative work gets done.

Creativity is in our DNA. It is part of our created design. Thus, the greatest task is not doing the creative work, it is routinely performing that counter-cultural somersault of building a fortress in which to focus, alone.