Things I watched recently as a creative
In the spirit of not gatekeeping all the great content that exists out there (and because I like to share what I find interesting), here are some awesome things I recently watched. The first is a video on Boredom by the producer Jonwayne (there’s also another video I've been thinking about since I watched it a few weeks ago, Why Every Artist Should Be on YouTube. In the Boredom Paradox, Jon takes us on an entertaining journey through what he sees as the essential driver of creativity: boredom.
These days, we rarely give ourselves time to just be — to sit in stillness and let our minds drift. The moment we have a second of idle time, we grab our phones and scroll through TikTok or queue up the latest show on Netflix. Then we wonder why we don’t feel as creative as we did when we were younger.
But when we allow for silence, our minds are never truly quiet. Sounds and images rise up unprompted, and we end up finally grabbing that notepack or drawing pad (only to be discouraged by how rusty we are 😂).
It’s fascinating how, thanks to people like Andrew Huberman, the language of psychology and human behavior has become more accessible and pervasive, especially among those without formal education. It’s becoming increasingly clear that understanding the dopamine system can be incredibly helpful for achieving our goals, because it offers a tangible model for how our brain processes motivation and reward. These next few videos talk about how to deal with being engulfed in an oversaturated attention market.
I won’t pretend social media is some harmless escape. I use it to fill almost every waking moment with entertainment, and it’s changed the way I think and act. Honestly, it’s wrecked my memory—and maybe even dulled my thinking altogether.
Time is a precious resource, and it’s something I (and many others) struggle to manage. The act of choosing discipline, though, is invaluable but removing bad habits is only part of the equation. Without replacing them with something beneficial, you’re likely to fill the void with other toxic behaviors. Any spike is met with a trough, and the trough is where we often search for easy solutions. The more you actively remove the bad, focus on the good, and work through challenges, the easier it becomes to build momentum.
Lastly, I wanted to share a Vlog from a creator I’ve come to really admire. He’s sort of like a cross between Anthony Bourdain and Van Neistat. It’s hard to explain, but I’m drawn to his gritty editing and relatable storytelling and the feeling that I'm there with him as he takes viewers on slow, meditative journey. There’s something about his approach that stirs the inner artist in me.
He also recently did an insanely cool campaign shoot for Rains recently: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKIEHOKIrAY/
