Well, for starters: How do you facilitate your thought processes? What keeps your mind clear to create in the present day where everything seems so loud?
Well, that’s a good question. It’s something that seems to get harder and harder every day. To ignore the distractions of news, internet and TV broadcasts—where media purveyors have psychologists working to make their stuff ever more demanding and addictive–is no easy task. FOMO is part of it, too, not to mention fear of missing lifesaving information. [Is FOMLI a thing?].
So the temptation is to always have a channel open…but that’s something the outside world tries to exploit, and they come up with more and more clever ways to do that.
Anyway, it requires an act of will to deliberately turn off as many distractions as possible and carve out some uninterrupted creative time and space for oneself. It helps a lot if your creative space is actually physically removed from areas where others have access to your senses and brain, where you can let your mind wander or focus as needed.
Of course, this isn’t always possible. Leaf blowers, barking dogs, and passing traffic always seem to be loudest when one is most in need of peace. In that case I often resort to music, which if chosen wisely, can mask the noise as well as create a sympathetic sound environment, enhancing whatever mood I feel I need to be in. Another alternative is to work at times when the rest of the neighborhood is asleep. 😉
••••••••
All those considerations aside, I have to admit that when I’m in the initial throes of an idea’s creation, I’m often so focused on what I’m trying to do that I’m not affected by outside stimuli. Noisy music can be playing while I’m working and I’m not really hearing it, if the conditions are right. But there are limits. I have a special hate for leaf blowers and wood chippers, which never fail to set my teeth on edge. It’s best for me then to go away for a while, and hope to return to my work when I can think straight again.
I honestly wish I had a chance to pick your brain and know your thought processes in your art, Mr. Whelan.
You’re welcome to ask questions. Pick away…
Well, for starters: How do you facilitate your thought processes? What keeps your mind clear to create in the present day where everything seems so loud?
Well, that’s a good question. It’s something that seems to get harder and harder every day. To ignore the distractions of news, internet and TV broadcasts—where media purveyors have psychologists working to make their stuff ever more demanding and addictive–is no easy task. FOMO is part of it, too, not to mention fear of missing lifesaving information. [Is FOMLI a thing?].
So the temptation is to always have a channel open…but that’s something the outside world tries to exploit, and they come up with more and more clever ways to do that.
Anyway, it requires an act of will to deliberately turn off as many distractions as possible and carve out some uninterrupted creative time and space for oneself. It helps a lot if your creative space is actually physically removed from areas where others have access to your senses and brain, where you can let your mind wander or focus as needed.
Of course, this isn’t always possible. Leaf blowers, barking dogs, and passing traffic always seem to be loudest when one is most in need of peace. In that case I often resort to music, which if chosen wisely, can mask the noise as well as create a sympathetic sound environment, enhancing whatever mood I feel I need to be in. Another alternative is to work at times when the rest of the neighborhood is asleep. 😉
••••••••
All those considerations aside, I have to admit that when I’m in the initial throes of an idea’s creation, I’m often so focused on what I’m trying to do that I’m not affected by outside stimuli. Noisy music can be playing while I’m working and I’m not really hearing it, if the conditions are right. But there are limits. I have a special hate for leaf blowers and wood chippers, which never fail to set my teeth on edge. It’s best for me then to go away for a while, and hope to return to my work when I can think straight again.