If there’s one thing that can kill my creativity, it’s technology.
Don’t get me wrong, technology can also be very beneficial and productive to creativity. But as many of you might agree, it’s a two-edge sword. And even the positive attributes of technology might not be as great as we think.
I’ll admit that I can do more as an individual using technology than I have ever been able to do in my life. I can have my own state-of-the-art recording studio at home using only a few pieces of equipment. I can teach classes from remote locations. I can create and post writing, music, and photography in real time. Those things were unimaginable just 30 years ago.
But with the good, comes the downside.
Time consumption is the biggest problem. The amount of time we can spend learning new technology is huge. Add the time it takes just to use the technology on a daily basis and it’s an even bigger issue.
As a teacher, I spend about 20% more time than I used to in the classroom because of all the stuff I have to do on my learning management system. The same goes for all my personal business needs. Emails and passwords never seem to stop. The time I spend on all things technological sucks away my creative time and energy.
Even when I try to use less technology, it seems to have become an invasive part of my life now. I can’t pay a bill, make a doctor’s appointment, or apply for a job without the extra steps of using technology to complete those processes.
In order to keep posting here, I have to continually upgrade and learn new technology. Same goes for recording music. I’m currently starting to make the change from GarageBand to Logic Pro. You might say that’s great, but the time it takes to keep up on apps and programs is a creativity killer.
I’m going to sound like an old guy here, but sometimes I miss the old technology. The flow seemed less disruptive. We seemed to be able to focus on one thing at a time. In today’s world, it starts to feel like we are constantly under pressure via technology. We are continually interrupted.
I just want to create. I don’t want to spend countless hours on technology in order to create. – dse
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