Creativity Comes In The Silence
Start writing a post
Student Life

Creativity Comes In The Silence

Because the quieter you get, the more you hear.

123
Creativity Comes In The Silence
Pexels.com

Did you know that the average millennial’s attention span is less than that of a goldfish? Eight seconds – that is how long our generation can stay connected and engaged with any one thing.

Over the past month, I have sat at home while job searching. Actually, two, now that I stop and think about it. I have had nothing to do other than clean, cook, walk around the neighborhood, and by then, it’s only ten o'clock. I'm in a new city with few friends to go and hang out with. The days can’t go by fast enough. For the first few weeks, I felt the need to have music playing constantly, or at least have Friends playing on Netflix while I rearranged furniture for the fourth time. The silence was killing me, and I would have two-sided conversations with myself just so that I wouldn’t have to sit in it. Then something told me to lay off, to not make noise all of the time, to be okay with the quiet.

And something incredible happened.

In the past month, I have been writing more. I have been drawing more. I have been taking long walks & dreaming. Short stories have come out the recesses of my mind as I think, "Why have I never written this before?" I have written poems & songs, just because I felt the need to get the words out. I scribbled in my journal a few days ago, I feel creative juices flowing out of my fingertips, all of this energy to make and dream and do bursting at the seams of me. I am having ideas independent of Pinterest, taking pictures without feeling the need to post them somewhere. I have even sat in complete silence on the living room floor, finding stimulation wholly unnecessary to living fully.

It hit me that my generation is scared of silence. Scared of not having the constant stream of information overloading our brains. Most millennials cannot sit still for one minute without picking up their phone to scroll through something. We sit in traffic & look at Instagram. We pay to see a movie & watch stories on SnapChat instead. We always want to be hanging out, talking to people. We can’t stand to sit alone in a restaurant or coffee shop. Don’t even mention a Friday night at home, eating Ramen without a Stranger Things marathon.

But the silence brings creativity with it, and in a generation so bent on making a difference, you’d think we’d be more than willing to unplug for five minutes.

Do you know where Great American Literature came from? Cabins in the woods where old men with beards sat alone for months on end, talking to God & the birds & the sunset. Mozart once wrote to his father saying that "I immerse myself in music, so to speak — that I think about it all day long — that I like experimenting — studying — reflecting”. Notice he said nothing about playing music & letting that inspire him. He would sit & think about music, study it, reflect upon it.

You don’t get creative breakthrough scrolling through Instagram. You don’t discover & dream when you’re watching videos of cats. If you want to “be more creative”, stop looking at DIYs. They will only get you so far.

You've got to get still, and you've got to get silent.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55012
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35417
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957546
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

184604
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments