The Write Elizabeth
writing. creativity. play. life.
My husband forwarded me someone’s blog post about multitasking and the problems it can create. It took me a while to get to it because, well, I had been so busy multitasking that I deleted the e-mail and cannot find the information again.
Even though there is an iPhone application for it, we’re not supposed to text when we walk, talking on the phone while walking has been deemed rather dangerous.
Is multitasking getting a bad rap? Maybe. However, for me, multitasking has interfered with my creativity. It’s made me less interested in my creative projects and, to me, that’s bad news.
Towards the end of the year, life started moving fast and furious, as it often does with holiday obligations colliding with work and life’s other obligations. One creative project had a tentative deadline, which I have continual pushed. There is too much to do.
Instead of speeding up to meet my blogging challenges with just anything, I am choosing to slow down my blogging to enjoy the process more and to find more worthwhile blogs to write about.
So far, in this new year, I’ve enjoyed the slow down and the creative project is starting to come together.
While the Internet works faster than the blink of an eye, it can seem that slower blogging (once every couple of weeks) might make one a social-media pariah. However, to my life, trying to replenish one’s creative flame is more important.
Instead of blogging just to put a post up, I’ve stepped away from the computer so I can read, re-tune and rejuvenate–creatively. But I’ll be back soon to blog all about it!
What are your thoughts about creativity and multitasking? Does multitasking help or hinder your creativity? What do you do to rejuvenate your creativity?
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4 Responses to Re-thinking multitasking
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I think the notion of multitasking is a menace for our modern work life. At a cretain point in history the word crept into the job descriptions of cheerful adds. With the help of modern technology, and gradually more userfriendly systems, it has been made possible to do different tasks at the same time, or in the same workday. Jobs that were done by different people before are done by one person now. To be able to multitask has been unduely glorified. I suspect that a lot of work turns out half assed because someone has been multitasking. The best creative work is done with full focus on the subject matter. You can get a very good idea in the midst of other unrelated activities, but to follow up on the thought and execute the idea requires you to put everything else to the side for as long as it takes.
Elisabet,
You make some great points. But do you ever find longer creative works can be worked into a busy work life and all its distractions? Any suggestions on shutting out those distractions? (Especially with kids!)
Thanks for commenting!
Elizabeth
I’m lost without multi-tasking. I actually at a loss when I don’t have several things going on simultaneously. Product of my environment, I guess!
It was nice meeting you at Blissdom!
Corrin,
Nice to meet you, as well.
I know. I feel like even when I’m not multi-tasking, I am doing it anyway.
Do you multi-task when you’re on a vacation or having downtime?
Thanks for stopping by!
Elizabeth