iPonder

[jan_event]

I've had an iPod for a few years now, certainly fewer than most people. I listen to music and quite a lot of podcasts. Recently I've been worried that this constant stimulation is interfering with my creativity. I only find myself drifting on rare occasions and most of what used to be daydreaming time is now listening time. What used to be time

Comments

[kaerasta]

Hmmm, reading this makes me wonder if listening to music on my mp3 player (something I rarely ever do) might make me less scatterbrained...

[jan_event]

I can't say one way or the other. What worked for me was listening to spoken word stuff while trying to fall asleep - same reason I can't listen to audiobooks, fantastic soporific.

[emmamushroom]

definitely agree with the before bed thing! i always keep a notebook and pen by my bed cos you never remember them the next day.
i don't listen to my ipod that much, just when i want to take a particularly meaningful/stimulating walk to the supermarket. but i find the internet is the killer of all my brain activity. my attention span is jack shit and i blame it all on the internet, i reckon try going cold turkey on internet/ipod for a couple of weeks and see if you notice any difference. good luck! keep posting your fiction on here, i might start doing the same. xx!

[jan_event]

I have a really bad attention span, but I'm not sure internet is the cause - maybe a contributor.

Unfortunately, especially while I'm looking for work, internet is pretty important. I have been trying to cut down on useless browsing and I've found that helps a little. More book reading with it's dedicated periods of attention.

An ipod cold turkey is a good idea. Will have to start carrying books around again - I was actually doing this recently after my headphones broke and before I bought new ones.

I will say this though: iPod makes me walk more and farther. When I carry a book around I tend to catch more public transport cause it = more time to read. I was reading and walking recently and this exchange happened with a passer by.

"What out you don't walk into a tree."
"I'll be careful."
"Happened to be plenty of times. Not pleasant."

Wouldn't have happened with an iPod!

I should write more on here like I used to, I know. Fucking f4c3b00k!

[jan_event]

I like it too, my problem is that I have serious trouble going to sleep (hate going to sleep, hate getting up) and the chattering in my brain is a major contributor. I started using spoken word or comedy plays (Mighty Boosh radio series, etc) as an aid and it worked. Focusing on the sound meant calming my internal voices and the result was calm.

It was also the evisceration of a major component of my creativity so I've stopped doing it now and resigned myself to taking a little longer to fall asleep.