Sparking Creativity

Taking a step back from the work.

As I write my second post of this series, I'm sitting on a Verner Panton Phantom Chair overlooking the city of Malmö, while using my phone to write this entry. What I'm trying to express is that I'm not in my everyday habitat doing my everyday normal routines.

We're visiting some friends who live in another city for the weekend, so I decided not to bring my laptop so I could enjoy my time and be present.

I had forgotten that I promised myself to write a post every week about my entrepreneurial journey. And so here I am with my phone in my hands, fumbling over my thumbs, trying to type the right words.

With the nature of the work I want to be in, I need a computer to do most of my tasks. It's no shock to read that I hardly did anything related to my goals this week. I knew this was going to be the case. I chose not to give myself the opportunity to work this weekend.

It was the first time, in a long time, that I didn't bring my laptop with me. Usually, it goes wherever I go, filling a void if ever there's any downtime. When packing for our short trip, I stopped myself when reaching for the laptop and decided that instead of maximising any downtime, I take this opportunity to be present with the company around me.

This weekend has been delightful, and it was something that I needed. I don't regret not bringing my laptop. I should do it more often.

Since I'm the only early riser in the group, I did find time to myself. How do you think I'm able to write this post during the trip? I mentioned earlier that I hardly did any work, but I found time in the mornings to read. This book I'm reading is related to what I'm trying to do, and after reading a few pages, it sparked a little creativity, inspiration, and a few ideas.

I managed to jot down some of the ideas, and I'm looking forward to going over them once we're back and see if any of them make any sense.

What I need to remind myself is that just because I wasn't in front of the computer designing or developing, it doesn't mean I'm not moving forward. Sometimes, being away from the "work" gives you space to be creative and think outside the box. The best ideas happen when you're not forcing it out.

It was the right decision not to bring the laptop. My only regret was that I didn't pack my lightweight Bluetooth keyboard to allow me to type out these words instead.