Boredom often elicits disconnection and meaninglessness — in large doses, existential dread — but when embraced, it can be a catalyst for creativity.
Nietzsche theorized that we should welcome the discomfort of the mundane because hitting rock bottom can motivate us to dream of the exceptional. Similarly, neuroscientists and psychologists examine the positive effects of boredom in their research when linking idle resting states that spark mental wandering and the imagination. This paradoxical pairing of boredom and creativity is not new — cultures around the world have been exploring it for thousands of years.
The ancient Taoist concept of “wu-wei” and the Japanese word “ma” consider stillness and emptiness as companions to creativity. Compositions require “ma” or silence and emptiness; without pauses, objects and sounds blur together and fall flat. These philosophical concepts are thought to apply to everything we create, from planning a daily schedule, to arranging flowers or music…