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June 25, 2018 BIZ BOOKS

How to think creatively in today's connected digital age

By Jim Pawlak

“In Praise of Wasting Time” by Alan Lightman (TED Books Simon & Schuster, $16.99).

In our 24/7/365 connected world, we've become experts in not wasting time. At work, inboxes are on overflow, meetings abound, emails and voicemail remind us that there's still much to be done. After work, our personal schedules fill quickly yet we constantly check our smartphones and tablets for emails, use apps and post on social media. Sleep provides the only respite from being “on.”

Lightman believes that “not-waste-time” compulsion has an adverse impact on our creativity. Einstein spoke of his need for empty spaces for mental adventures. “Creativity thrives on unstructured time, on play, on 'divergent thinking,' on unpurposed ramblings.” It needs its own time, too.

A timed exercise: Sit in a chair in a dark room and completely turn off the outside world for 20 minutes. What are you thinking about? Connected people think about what they're missing and what they must check on after their “confinement” has ended. They become antsy and want to get out of the chair before the 20 minutes ends.

Creative people, on the other hand, see the 20 minutes of disconnect as time to imagine, dream and explore. They appreciate the break with the outside world and turn to inner thoughts of what, why and how. The creatives aren't wasting time; they're using it.

Lightman also advocates making time for meditation. I experienced meditation's benefits through Frithjof Bergmann, a philosophy professor (now emeritus) at the University of Michigan. Bergmann would wake at 4:45 a.m. and make a pot of coffee. From five until six, he would drink coffee, sit and think. From six until seven, he would call people whom he believed could provide insight into his thoughts. I look forward to his calls because his thoughts make me think, too. While I'm not calling at 6 a.m., I do collect my thoughts and discuss them with others; they reciprocate. It's a fantastic way to build a creative network.

Takeaway: Unplugging from 24/7/365 provides the opportunity to connect with our creative “selfs.”

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