08 Dec Creative Burst – TV gone!
Our really ancient TV finally died, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the resulting creative burst that has opened up with that new space in my life.
More active brain
I was stunned to learn recently that the brain is less active when you’re watching TV than it is when you’re asleep (Katz & Rubin, Keep Your Brain Alive). That made it easy to not replace the TV.
I used to do handwork when I sat down to watch a program: mending, knitting, that sort of thing. I still do those things, but now I listen to books or podcasts, which seems to spark my brain more. I’ve certainly broken out of an established routine!
More things done
Without the TV, I also get more things done in the evening. For example, it used to take me two or three months to make a quilt; I recently put one together in a month by spending more time on it most evenings. The new pattern and new technique stretched my brain, and I had a great sense of accomplishment when I finished it.
I’ve been getting more things done in the daytime, too, and I think it’s partly a result of developing a stronger “doing” habit in the evenings. I just feel more motivated, somehow, to put ideas into action and accomplish more things throughout the day.
More creative
I’m realizing that an older brain has definite advantages, and my creativity seems to be more active since the TV died. It dawned on my recently, for instance, that I could take knowledge from one field (singing lessons) and apply it to another (improving English pronunciation for new Canadians).
Maybe there’s no link between the space opened up by not having a TV, and the more alive brain I’ve been experiencing lately, but it certainly seems so to me. Hmmm… I wonder how much I would accomplish if I didn’t read anything for a week!
Oh, yes, and one more advantage. We don’t have that monthly charge for the TV anymore! I’d love to hear what your experience has been by not watching TV, or not reading for a week.
Reference
- Lawrence C. Katz & Manning Rubin. Keep Your Brain Alive – 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness. Workman Publishing Company, New York.
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