←back to thread

567 points ingve | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.226s | source
Show context
keyle ◴[] No.43589404[source]
It's an interesting read. I'm in the complete opposite camp. I can't pick up a game controller for more than 5 minutes without feeling like I'm wasting time.

This has lead to many, many side projects throughout the years, which I tend to like a zen garden[1]. Pruning, refining, improving, and sometimes rewriting.

As soon as I work out the game mechanics of any game, I just see it as just content now, and there is nothing holding me back to play any longer. Same with watching TV shows or movies, I lose interest pretty quickly and feel an urge to create something.

I've always been very in tune with time, our lack of it, and felt like consumption is a waste of time.

That said I believe creativity is hormonal (that is only my personal belief, unproven). It comes and goes. Some days I can't stop creating, somedays I want netflix and chill. But that's 10 days cycle of sorts, 10 days on, 10 days off.

Depending on where you live, it's perfectly normal that due to current events, or a personal loss in your life, etc. you might not feel the creative bug tickling you. The creative hormone might be totally wiped by your current environment or predicament; tiredness, anger, stress, all play into it.

After all, since our early days in the caves, drawing on walls, Humans wouldn't do so unless they had safety, a full belly, and a warm fire. A place to call home. Creative time needs conditions to be filled.

[1] https://noben.org

replies(11): >>43589441 #>>43590095 #>>43590490 #>>43590836 #>>43590894 #>>43591090 #>>43591511 #>>43591957 #>>43591967 #>>43595707 #>>43600345 #
dilawar ◴[] No.43590836[source]
> somedays I want netflix and chill.

I call them a zero day.

replies(1): >>43592653 #
theF00l ◴[] No.43592653[source]
I wonder if it's always a zero day. I think that things and ways of thinking create momentum. The more you netflix and chill, the likelier you are to netflix and chill.
replies(1): >>43593742 #
1. jacamera ◴[] No.43593742[source]
Yeah I definitely struggle with this. You need downtime to relax but it's easy to "over relax" just like it's easy to oversleep or overeat or overdo any other number of things that are healthy and necessary but only at the right amplitude and frequency. I think that's why it can feel so good to be in a rhythm. You get a nice oscillation going that rides the wave of momentum instead of some monotonic rise or fall that is going to lead to burnout or stagnation.