Enjoy the Silence
Turn the damn noise off already
I was feeling in a creative rut the other night, so to get out of the house and clear my head, I took my dog for a walk. It was about 1 am, and that means complete quiet in my neighborhood. No cars driving down the street, not a soul around, no voices from the surrounding apartments. As we strolled down the street, all I could hear were our footsteps and the occasional leaf we stepped on. My dog was happy as can be. She loves the night air and she loves when it is just us on the walking path. As we sauntered along, my thoughts started to drift and wander, and I was able to lock into a creative space that I had trouble accessing all day. Something happens in these moments. Something magical. My brain goes to places it doesn’t even realize it is going.
I start to think about why, and realize in this modern day, we are surrounded by noise. Sometimes we just need to step away and enjoy the silence.
I start each day with the most irritating noise, an alarm clock. I am jolted awake. Then I brush my teeth and shower, usually while playing upbeat music. I like to start my day this way. Puts me in a happy, good mood. But it also distracts me. I am singing along or if my wife hasn’t left for work yet, I am talking to her. I am not letting my brain wander.
Then I head to work, usually playing a podcast in my car while the noises of the road fill my ears. Cars revving up, honking, music blaring from their radios. Then work, where I talk with people in person, on Zoom, on the phone. Where my ears are filled with noises of other conversations from other offices, printers beeping, street noises, ambulance sirens driving by, even the sound of the air conditioner as it turns on and off.
I’m inundated with noise all day. Some of it voluntary, some of it involuntary. I wonder about the effects on my health - both physical and mental. And I wonder about the effects on my creativity.
I am not saying all noises are bad. I do stand-up comedy, where I am literally amplifying my voice to a crowd in hopes to receive the greatest noise of all, laughter. I am saying that sometimes, we need silence. And we need to learn to enjoy those moments of silence, make space for them, and sit in them.
Noise can be bad for your health.
Several studies show that loud sounds can hurt your heart and blood vessels, harm your endocrine system, and make it difficult to think, process, and learn. Continued exposure to noise can cause headaches, high blood pressure, and has even been linked to Type 2 Diabetes. The World Health Organization calculated that in 2018 in the European Union, 1.6 million years of healthy life were lost because of traffic noise. The EPA, believing that noise was harmful to the public, passed the Noise Control Act of 1972 and Quiet Communities Act of 1978, which aim to protect public health by setting noise level standards for major sources like machinery and transportation.1 (Although there isn’t any money currently being put into to enforcement of these Acts).
This isn’t a new problem.
The first noise ordinance on record, drafted by Julius Caesar shortly before his assassination in 44 B.C.E., limited the times that noisy carts and wagons could be on the street. Caesar had a lot to think about, and maybe if those damn carts and wagons weren’t so noisy, he could have seen Brutus and Cassius coming.
Sounds easy, but silence is scary
Thomas Oppong says it best: Silence is perhaps one of the most underappreciated creativity tools. This resonates with me for a very simple reason: silence is hard and sometimes it is frightening. If I am having a conversation, and there is a silent pause, I get nervous. The silence may be a second or two in reality, but it feels like an eternity. We are taught that this is awkward or bad. And if I am alone, the idea of sitting in my own thoughts?! Well, I’d literally rather do anything else.
Silence is your friend
Make the space for silent time. Put in earplugs if you need to. Put on noise canceling headphones with nothing playing. Shut the door, turn off the noise, and sit in the silence. Let your thoughts roam from here to there. It may be uncomfortable, but if you can push past that feeling, you might hit a place of pure creativity. Learn to enjoy it. I have.
I have been making a conscious effort to reduce noise in my life. Sometimes, I drive in silence. I don’t always listen to music when I’m doing errands or cooking or cleaning like I used to. I just focus my attention on my thoughts and sometimes lightning strikes. Sometimes it doesn’t, but I will feel at peace and calmer, so it still achieves a purpose.
Next time you need a spark of inspiration, look within. Let your thoughts do the talking. In the immortal words of Willy Wonka: If you want to view paradise, Simply look around and view it, Anything you want to, do it. Wanna change the world? There’s nothing to it. There is no life, I know. To compare with pure imagination. Living there, you’ll be free. If you truly wish to be…
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/everyday-noises-can-hurt-hearts-not-just-ears-and-the-ability-to-learn/