SLOW inspirations
BOREDOM IS NO LONGER A BAD SPACE TO BE IN. MANY PEOPLE ARE CELEBRATING THE SLOW MOMENTS OF LIFE THAT HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY RARE IN THIS FAST- PACED WORLD AND EMBRACING THE JOY OF UNBUSYNESS
In these technology- driven times, it has become rare to hear that one is bored. There is so much to occupy one’s mind. Life is breathlessly fast- paced. Demanding careers, personal responsibilities, increasing social anxieties — the list is long... But there is one thing that people seem to unanimously agree upon — the ‘ me time’, the lazy day and even a boring one is welcome now. With the concepts of going slow, celebrating unbusyness and the art of doing nothing gaining traction, boredom is no longer a bad space to be in. It can add new depth and dimension to life — the many plus points include respite from stress, a much needed mind pause, encouraging reflection and creativity. However, not all reasons to switch off lead to the pond of wisdom. We find out.
STRIKING A CHORD OF CREATIVITY
Artist and curator, Alka Raghuvanshi believes that creativity has to emerge from a space of Eros and not Thanatos, where boredom lies. “One requires consistency in order to create but to take that work to a spectacular level, one also needs a stroke of insight — that will only happen when you are prodding. The one per cent of blessing that will change any work can only come when one waits. I might not finish a painting at one go. Breaks provide insights. But it can’t be called boredom that inspires us, I would call it resting.”
When I know that I am not in a hurry and don’t have a big plan as a part of my day, that’s the kind of moment when the creative cells in my brain get super active — Ravinder Singh, Author
Creativity has to emerge from a space of Eros and not Thanatos, where I believe boredom lies — ALKA RAGHUVANSHI, Artist and art curator
Author Ravinder Singh, who has written many bestsellers, also loves such days but carefully differentiates between boredom, laziness and free time. He says, “Certainly not a boring or a lazy day but a day where I can be myself and have time to spend and think about a lot of things. It is a time that I can enjoy on my own. I am alone but not lonely. It could also be a moment wherein I enjoy the eco- system around me that motivates me a lot. Getting up in the morning silence and knowing that I have the rest of the day to myself and there is nothing that I need to plan — it leaves me in a phase where there is a lot of energy around me.
“I would rather be alone, specifically in the morning hours. If I am closer to nature that is a wonderful thing, even better if it rains. That is the best part of it. When I know that I am not in a hurry and don’t have a big plan as a part of my day, that’s the kind of moment when the creative cells in my brain get super active and I read something that inspires me to go ahead and pen down the thoughts in my head. That inspires me.
“So it is not really boredom but free time that inspires me and there is a difference between laziness, free time and boredom.”
QUIET AMID CHAOS
If slow- paced days play an important role in enhancing one’s creativity, what about people living hectic lives and trying to create marvelous work? Is boredom even easily available to all?
Director Shyam Benegal laughs, “I am never bored. I may not be doing anything for links of time but that does not mean I am bored. Unless I have gone to sleep, my mind is working. We are living in an environment full of life. All sorts of things are happening around you. So I am not bored with life. However, I do meet very boring people, and that is something I can’t control.” Talking about relishing moments that are free of responsibility, he adds, “There is no such thing in life. Anyone who says that is lying. Everybody has something to do. Creativity emerges from the chaos of life. To create something, you don’t necessarily have to be physically active. It can be mental activity, spiritual activity or anything else. So it is difficult to understand boredom in that way. There are so many things to worry about, the things happening around you occupy your mind.”
One can be aloof in a crowded room, feels artist Sanjay Bhattacharya. He agrees with Shyam Benegal as far as creativity and chaos is concerned. He says, “Yes, there is an importance of a slow- paced day. However, there are some subjects
There are lots of subjects that inspire you in their own way. People have been taking inspiration from flora and it is very slow paced to observe. Unless you wait and watch, you can’t get inspired — Sanjay Bhattacharya, Artist
that have to be explored in a chaotic situation, like Chandni Chowk. It’s a different world. At the same time, if you go to Varanasi it feels as if time has stopped. When I was at a ghat in Varanasi, I thought maybe I am in the past. So that is also a kind of inspiring space. There are lots of subjects that inspire you in their own way. People have been taking inspiration from flora and it is very slow- paced to observe. Unless you wait and watch, you can’t get inspired.”
ART OF BEING ALOOF
He believes chaos and aloofness both act together to help one be their creative best. “You have to be aloof but you also have to be in the middle of the chaos. When I shoot in the scorching sun, I forget everything because my focal point is my subject. There is also a way to be aloof in chaos and to be able to select the right subjects from that chaos to create what one has set out to create,” says Bhattacharya.
Recalling his college days, he adds, “We were at Howarh station and it is very crowded and chaotic. I used to capture pictures there. Once a friend came along with me and said, ‘ How can I concentrate in this chaos?’ But it all depends on how engrossed you are. The level of concentration has to be very high and you have to know the art of being aloof. Only then can you create something wonderful.”