Creativity loves company, but it prefers boredom

Neuropsychology has taught us that boredom is not really such a bad thing. Ian Robertson, an eminent neuropsychologist, explains on his blog the necessity of boredom for creativity.

I get ideas when I’m walking and when I’m driving. I seldom get ideas for anything when I’m at my desk, or if I feel I have to. If I get too busy with regular work, I find my creativity goes into hiding and sulks in a corner until I reluctantly agree to some down time.

The empty spaces in our day are often the most fertile. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to be bored. And so the spaces are harder and harder to find. That’s why I find them when I’m walking or driving, when I can’t be on the internet or writing or tidying the house. The space comes when it’s just me moving and going somewhere, in the space between the destinations.