📸 Mural and process images by Jarred—Painted in Gainesville, FL
The Reflection:
CONVENIENCE LEADS TO MEDIOCRITY
The Breakdown:
Our desire to get things done faster is a reflection of our low tolerance for discomfort. Rather than sit with or mindfully engage with discomfort, we search for shortcuts to find relief as soon as possible—or worse, we procrastinate. This is natural because avoidance is an evolved biological imperative with the intention of keeping our species safe. Consider this scene: you are walking through a path in the woods and hear a rustle from the bushes near you. Our brain interprets this information as potential danger and triggers an avoidant reflex. Instead of pause and investigate whether the noise is a real threat (i.e. snake, bear, rabid tourist) it’s safer to assume it is dangerous than to take a chance and risk getting bitten (aka death!)—Protip: that rustle is more often than not a harmless squirrel or just the wind, but again better to be safe than sorry right?! Taking the path of least resistance is a physical manifestation of our fear reaction and translates to our anxiety—it bypasses opportunities for unexpected encounters, thus denying us the opportunity to diverge from established norms. So, you might be wondering, what kinds of threats exist in our creative landscape? If you’ve ever practiced under a deadline or promised a deliverable you weren’t sure you could execute then you probably know how threatening this can feel 😳. Deadlines and deliverables are inevitable when you practice creativity for a living; however, quality work often means doing things with more care and intention—particularly during the ideation phase of a project. Intentionally doing things the hard way can reopen pathways for experiencing the unexpected. And remember, the hard way is usually the way more aligned with analog process, at least initially. Analog is generally a slower process, but as the Navy Seals say “Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast.” We have so many tools at our disposal these days to do research for us and optimize workflow—and these things can help us get things done efficiently. But it is important to recognize the inevitable tipping point where we sacrifice intentionality for efficiency. Sometimes we allow conveniences or the easy path to detract us from an unexpected discovery, a moment of interest, a new surprise. Don’t allow external pressures or the latest greatest technologies to suck the humanity out of the most important parts of your working process. We are humans; we’re designed to move slowly and consistently and that’s ok! Ever have jetlag? We’re just not designed to move super fast. Our bodies keep us honest and tell us this with the lag we feel. Learning to accept that creative work is in fact meant to be quite hard is imperative. Trust yourself to do hard things on purpose. The scenic route is not always slower even though it might feel like it. Sometimes shortcuts require backtracking to makeup for the quality lost. Allow yourself to move at a human pace. Take your time—your path is the process.
The Practice:
Sit down in your favorite spot without your phone or computer. Hand write a letter to someone you love that has passed away updating them on everything happening in your life since they’ve passed. Be as granular as possible. Take a nice slow walk afterward and notice how you feel (yes, still without your phone). Time box: 1 hour
The Inspiration: Richard Linklater / Boyhood
Boyhood is a film that took Richard Linklater 12 years to make. Rather than finding actors to play different stages of the characters’ lives, he chose to stick with the same cast and film a piece of the movie every year. This is next level dedication to process and requires patience and trust—not just for Linklater to have trust in himself and the integrity of his idea but in his entire team to stay the course. His willingness to commit fully to his process led to a truly unique outcome.
It’s a simple idea to watch time work through a film, really, but it’s so impractical on a production level.
—Richard Linklater
Care to Share?
If you’re willing—feel free to share notes about your practice exercise or any thoughts about this month’s discovery in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you about how to make our monthly discoveries work best for your creative practice!
