This is day 6 of a week without news. That’s right. No public radio in my kitchen, in my car or in my ears for a whole week.
Part of a challenge on the Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron offers a tool for “Reading Deprivation” on p. 87. Despite the harshness of the name, it is a powerful experiment in breaking a pattern of behavior that may be stealing our time and energies away from more nurturing or fruitful tasks.
I like to think of it more as a “Media Hiatus.” Seven days without a habitual input of info.
Maybe reading is the thing for you, maybe it is something else. What form of media, entertainment or activity consumes much of your time and attention? Quit that. Just for a week. I know, it’s hard. But you are sure to discover something awesome.
When I took a break from reading for a week, I actually tasted my food rather than gobbling up the nearest magazine or piece of mail on the table instead. Once I turned off the TV for a week (that was hard!), but I learned I could find other things to do like cook, paint or catch up on something important to me. Now I don’t even have a television anymore. Sure, I still watch movies and shows on my computer, but at least I make more conscious choice about what I watch rather than whatever happens to be on. That’s my rationale for now until I’m brave enough to take a break from movies!
So, what am I learning without hearing radio news? That so much quiet makes me a bit uncomfortable, that my mind can actually think it’s own thoughts, and classical music sounds pretty good in my kitchen. The point is about waking up and breaking up old habits to make more room for creativity to come through, and as much as I might whine about the change or miss my radio friends, I appreciate the chance to tune up my listening.
Facebook, TV, Pinterest, MPR, video games, internet surfing,…or reading… I challenge you to turn it off for a spell and see what happens.
