I’ve been thinking about the relationship between creativity and good ol’ fashioned boredom. For myself, I can draw a direct, correlating line between times of boredom and sparks of creativity. I’ve been a visual artist and (sometimes) freelance illustrator since the late 1990s, and the moments that I have felt “the most creative” (mileage varies) have been when I was not drowning in busywork. My personal creative peak, understandably, was before I began a family, and, as I am now, my creative peaks are during the short summer months and sometimes not even then. I still have research and writing work during the summer, but it is not as brain-drainingly intensive.
Considering and reflecting upon this, my work as a full-time university student, teacher’s assistant/instructor, and single parent prevent me from feeling true and honest boredom. If asked, “When was the last time you were bored?” my honest response would be, “Well… never. Not in recent memory anyway.” My creative output has, honestly, dwindled to a trickle. I would not give up my current life path (university, personal, parent); however, they come at a cost: creative and personal satisfaction. Everything comes with a price.
I often wonder if there is a solution to this problem, for I honestly say (with great melancholy), “I wish I had more time to draw” and “I wish I had more time for my projects… you know, the ones I want to get out of my head before I die.” But, as I’ve been organizing my life thus far, there is no room for boredom and, therefore, personal creative satisfaction. The only solution I can think of, at the moment, is to finish my university degree(s), find employment that doesn’t have unreasonable demands on my time (and if you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you), and wait until my children achieve true independence. Until then, I will have to wait for the treasure that is true boredom. I miss being bored; it is a coveted luxury. I’ll get there one day.