Boredom Beats Distraction

During an interview, best-selling author Neil Gaiman was asked where his ideas come from. He responded, “From daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored.” 

He then revealed how he is so prolific compared to most creatives. “I’m much better at putting my phone away, going for boring walks, actually trying to find the space to get bored in. That’s what I’ve started saying to people who say ‘I want to be a writer,’ I say, ‘great, get bored.’”

It’s such a powerful insight. And a concerning one. Because we live in a culture that never puts their phones away. We avoid boredom at all costs, mostly by passively staring at and scrolling through our screens. The result is never greater creativity but a numbing of our minds and souls.

Instead, follow Neil’s advice and find space to get bored in. Because we get ideas from being bored…not distracted.

This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL (or by check to Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).

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