Does screen time help or hinder creativity?

The deeper meaning of distraction

Melbourne based artist Minna Leunig observes that there’s a deeper meaning behind her distraction. “If I’m working on something I’m not particularly excited about, I’m far more easily distracted and can waste time scrolling on my phone. But if I’m working on something I feel good about and I’m in a flow state, I don’t tend to reach for my phone that much.”

Similarly, New York-based sculptor Maya Beverly shares that, for her, distraction can sometimes indicate “not having the motivation to start a piece” or that her ideas need more time to “coalesce and refine”. When I feel like everything finally clicks, I’m typically energised to start working.”

Saying that, she adds social media can still be “disruptive to natural cycles of cultivating curiosity and finding motivation. In a way, being distracted is part of the creative process, but it can become difficult to establish the lines between finding inspiration and weeding out unwanted or incessant noise.”

To counter this effect, Pillay suggests taking breaks for unfocused constructive daydreaming – which he says works best when doing something mindless like gardening, walking or knitting. New York-based artist Ashante Kindle finds that while her phone can swallow up time, she recognises it provides a level of constructive daydreaming, or what she calls a “mental reset” between more focused bouts of creating.

Both Timothy and Maya cite the enormous benefits of information access. “I’ve found that having access to digital libraries that include academic journals and books is super beneficial,” shares Maya. “Having access to art collections in digital archives in national and international museums is also helpful.”

For Ashante, online research helps her avoid distraction later on. “I’ve been sort of ‘tricking’ myself into being more productive with technology through a newfound love of reading,” she shares. “98% of the time I have a phone or tablet in my hand now, I’m reading some sort of book. I’m usually sick of my devices after all of the reading and research I do – which seems to solve the problem of becoming distracted, for the most part.”

Global community

We know social media can breed comparison, but it also facilitates connection. Based away from creative hubs like London or New York, Timothy uses it to connect with artists from afar. “From a connectivity perspective, it’s definitely granted a lot of access to other artists, curators, gallerists and collectors. Over the years I’ve built an online community of individuals who are in the same boat as I am, and we help each other out from a virtual space.”

Growing up without TV, mobile, or internet until her mid teens, Minna notes the like-minded connections she made online later were particularly meaningful. Although her circumstances have changed, she views social media in a “mostly positive light” for its power to connect. “It’s helped to build a sense of comradery and community that I think would’ve been difficult to find without it – with many of the friendships initially formed online now existing in the ‘real world’.”