The Art of Doing Nothing

In our culture of productivity, many of us are unfamiliar with the art of doing nothing. With our phones constantly at arms length, we are able to fill any millisecond of malaise with stimulation, often times low grade stimulation. What do we lose when the art of doing nothing dies in the blue screen light of an Apple iPhone?

For those of us prone to long phone breaks, we know the benefits of opting out of screen time: thoughts begin to proliferate in our heads, connections about the world are made, reflections make their way to the fore, errant observations about your surrounding speak louder in your internal monologue. Screen time silences the buzzing of our minds; the absence of screen time permits its near immediate return. 

I advocate for moments of nothing, especially for artists. We need time during which stimulation is at a low level. Rather than focus on the infinite scroll of an Instagram feed, we need quiet moments of reflection and observation. Artist must carve out time during which our only action is to do nothing. 

“Nothing” looks like an aimless walk, 10 minutes staring out the window, sitting in the grass and gazing at the sky, or sipping a mildly hot tea on a wrap around porch. Productivity is rejected in favor of meaningful non-actions. In this type of headspace, the artist can gain a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. 

If you find yourself over-stimulated or burnt out or overly engaged in your phone, try and find those still moments of nothingness. You’ll be surprised how your mind springs to life when it has nothing but itself with which to be engaged.