Week 11: Keep Calm and Be Bored---sidenote

Boredom. Why does it have such a negative appeal in our modern day? In a Metropolis magazine article "We Need More Boredom in Our Lives", by Rosanne Somerson, the appeal of boredom is challenged and advocated for.

Personally, I don't like being bored. But, I do like doing nothing. Doing nothing, I feel, allows me to mentally rest, and let my mind wander, or even just be blank.

This whole idea of 'boredom' in an efficient world is viewed as a waste of time, a waste of potential beneficial work. However, what Somerson argues is that boredom actually helps release more creativity (as she tested out on her students).

As I think about it-- it is true. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, endless downloadable applications on smart phones, 100+ television channels, 100+ shows and movies on Netflix/Hulu/YouTube--- there are no available moments to be bored! Comparing to the earlier times where black and white television with 2 channels had become a thing, we have an unimaginable luxury in our modern day lives!

However, how in effect is this 'luxury' affecting us? Sure, daily improvements occur, but what about our abilities to entertain ourselves with just our minds? Having those blank moments, won't they allow for the advent of fresh ideas, and self-appreciation?

In relating this back to architecture, or more generally, the design process: boredom isn't a bad thing. It is an opening for new ideas to occur; a chance for rest to generate and a new perspective to somehow unlock.

"Distraction is easier than ever to find and harder than ever to resist. But until we push back and avoid getting sucked into the void of mindless media consumption, we will discourage our overextended minds from opening up to allow for creativity and discovery."

Check out the article here!