The Internet scares me.
Through it, I’ve reached and connected with a larger group of people like me, of artists working to improve their skills, than I could have ever thought possible.
I’ve learned a huge amount about art and approaches to practice that I would have struggled to learn otherwise.
But the Internet still scares me.
I’ve also wasted countless unproductive hours looking at stuff I just don’t need. Yes, I love funny cat pics too.
I’ve been sucked in to facebook, google plus and pinterest more times that I care to admit. I’ve used them to procrastinate and have taken way longer to get important stuff done because I was too busy looking at funny cat pics.
I love funny cat pics.
You clicked on that link, didn’t you?
Despite all that, it’s not so much the wasted time that scares me. It’s that the Internet is rewiring our brains. Research into brain plasticity shows that what we habitually do creates physical change in our brains. Collections of neurons become wired together in patterns that are strengthened by repetition.
We are what we habitually do, and what we habitually do, too often, is Facebook. YouTube. Pinterest.
As a species, we’re losing our ability to focus for any reasonable length of time. We’re losing our ability to be satisfied with our own thoughts, in quiet solitude.
We need input, constantly and endlessly refreshed, to keep our interest. Our brains are becoming desensitised, deadened.
Why you should care
You should care about this because as an artist, your ability to focus, to contemplate, to handle solitude, defines in large part how successful your output will be – and how much of it there will be. It defines how much and how quickly you’ll learn.
You should care because if you can’t focus, your art will suffer. And actually, so will your life.
My biggest worry is that I know from experience that our ability to see as an artist sees – to notice the quiet beauty around us and become captivated by it – requires a quiet mind and an ability to focus.
Our ability to draw depends to a large extent on how well, how completely we’ve seen. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my own art journey is that the ability to see isn’t a given. Seeing is a skill that needs to be honed and stretched, like any skill. The best way to hone that skill of seeing is slow, intense, closely observed drawing.
How to remember how to see
If you want to counterbalance the goldfish-like attention span that the Internet engenders, you’ll need to practise stretching your focus. Here’s a few things you could try.
- Meditation. The original focus exercise. I’ve recently signed up for Headspace and would recommend it based on my experience so far.
- Draw regularly. Drawing accuracy practice is great for this. Do only a small amount of it every day for two weeks, see if you can stretch your ability to focus. Bargue drawing is accuracy practice on steroids.
- Limit your online time – especially aimless browsing. Only do it after you’ve done your thing that matters that day.
- Pause. If you find the pull of the Internet and social media to strong, try this: Stand in front of the blank canvas for a while, and feel the resistance. Feel the urge to open facebook, check email. But don’t act on it. Wait for a little while, and let it die off, then start focusing on what you need to do. This was one of the most useful insights that Leo Babauta shared with us in our recent interview. It really works. I highly recommend you try it.
Practical steps for artists
Any kind of drawing will do. But here’s a few exercises designed purely to help you rebuild your ability to focus.
Practice breathing lines
This exercise is like heavy weightlifting for your focus muscles. It’s part meditation, part drawing. It’s been designed specifically to stretch your ability to relax and focus on your drawing. It’s a powerful right-brain activator too.
Try it. Feel how hard it is to settle into it at the beginning. It should be simple, but it isn’t!
Draw an Enso
The quiet and peace of mind required to draw an enso takes time and practice to acquire.
Do a charcoal value scale
That video is 10 minutes long, all I do in it is draw a value scale from dark to light. You can’t watch a video in which nothing really happens for ten minutes? I know the feeling. Here’s some cat pics instead, much more fun.
The interruption machine
Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows, calls the Internet an “interruption machine.”
What it interrupts is us attempting to live the life we’re capable of living, a life in which we give the world the best of ourselves, become the best of ourselves.
Through its repeated interruptions – that we gleefully collude in – it slowly but surely erodes our ability to focus. Without focus we’ll lose our ability to see.
You’re an artist. You can’t afford to let that happen to you.
Further reading material:
If any of the sentiments on this post resonate with you, you might want to check out the following books:
Best wishes,
Paul
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Well…you did warn us, BUT THEY ARE SO-O-O CUTE!
Thanks for this post Paul. I totally agree with you.
I have been off facebook for a while now, but I am going to share your post on my page so others will see it.
All the best for 2015.
Anita
Thanks Anita.
I can’t tell you how many times I got sucked into buzzfeed pics of cats whilst writing this one!
I have been able to resist looking at cat videos …. until now … and … they are as ridiculous as I thought they would be ….
But your piece is great, very thoughtful. Thanks for putting this effort into CT.
Hi Paul, I agree to read your mails, youare a true artist and a god mentor. Yes, Internet needs a lot of time for nothing, sometimes. But it is interesting to me for know the thinking of ‘300s, ‘400’ art writers and the life of ‘800s painters since the ’30s of last century. why? for my colture. Because money, I did not paint as I wished when I whre young. Now, in pension, I try to learn as better i can. I suscribede a paint course in the Celiberti studio in Udine-Italy for learn to paint in a non traditional mood. to learn that trees, people, towns are non important as i thought, but fantasy is important to produce art, and colour. And to morrow i’ll see all what you suggest me. Thanks.
Hi Paul, I agree to read your mails, youare a true artist and a god mentor. Yes, Internet needs a lot of time for nothing, sometimes. But it is interesting to me for know the thinking of ‘300s, ‘400’ art writers and the life of ‘800s painters since the ’30s of last century. why? for my colture. Because money, I did not paint as I wished when I whre young. Now, in pension, I try to learn as better i can. I suscribede a paint course in the Celiberti studio in Udine-Italy for learn to paint in a non traditional mood. to learn that trees, people, towns are non important as i thought, but fantasy is important to produce art, and colour. And to morrow i’ll see all what you suggest me. Thanks.
But they’re so cute! 🙂
Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you liked it.
Thanks Severino.
I’m not completely against the Internet of course. It is hugely powerful – I’m just a little concerned!
Thank you very much, Paul. You are an inspiration!
Indeed, aimless internet browsing is a trap that sucks our time. And we are very susceptible to shine news and networking.
Your tips and advices about how to become an artist are great. Please, keep sharing with us your insights.
While I am proud to say I did not follow your cute cat pics link, I couldn’t agree with your post more, Paul. In fact, Facebook gave me such a distraction that I de-installed the iPhone app at the first of the year. Then again, I did follow the link to this post of yours from…Facebook!! At least it was at days’ end after several hours of painting. Nevertheless, I am seriously considering taking a month long hiatus from it completely, as an experiment, to see if I get more actual creative work going. Mindfulness and Facebook seem to be completely at odds.
This a great observation Paul and sadly very true. I feel especially concerned for kids growing up today surrounded by mobile phones/ipads/internet. Ive noticed it with my younger music students. Their attention span wavers after 10mins on basic exercises. I see many parents tend to put their kids in front of a computer or ipad to occupy them to give them (parents) a break.. They dont fully understand the impact they are having on their childs brain development and subsequent creativity.
Ps- kudos for all the effort you but into these posts Paul.
You’re so right Jennifer, I don’t quite get how mindfulness and Facebook can even exist in the same universe.
Do the month without facebook thing. Do it! And let me know how it goes. I removed the facebook app from my tablet for the same reason. It was forever prodding me to come see what someone had liked, and who I might want to know. It’s just downright rude!
Thanks Hicaro, I’ll do my best 🙂
It’s a difficult one with kids. On the one hand, I want my sons to be up with technology and know what’s happening. On the other, I’d rather not reduce them to quivering vegetables.
The approach we’re taking at the moment is to schedule in at least as much time on focus building stuff as tablet-time. Luc does drawing with me every morning, and we do maths practice in the evenings. Michelle, my wife, reads with him every day. for our youngest, we make sure he spends time every with real toys made out of wood that he can physically interact with.
I have no idea if we’re getting the balance right or not. I don’t think we’ll really know until they’ve grown up! But we’re doing what we can.
Hi Paul, Thank you for your post. The considerations that you comment on it are interesting and the pure truth. My hitch with Internet is not with kittens but with people like you, teachers, to teach us with your experience. But although very interesting, also hooked and loosing de focus. I’ll take your advice into account. Respectfully Mercedes
Thanks Mercedes – I confess I hadn’t considered that I’m also one of those distractions, but of course it’s true! (although I’m substantially less cute than kittens…)
Personally, I’ve unsubscribed from almost all emails I used to get for that very reason. I guess should have encouraged everyone to unsubscribe from my emails too 🙂
It is all so true Paul, but who is really in charge??
I teach an online course and have a lot of practice to separate the wheat from the shaft. Internet used as a tool rather than Entertainment put whole new spin to it. Of course I am amused a lot.
Well, that takes practice and after all we do the best we can.
Keep on posting because I will read it with pleasure.
My habit is to look what I accomplish rather what I didn’t.
Helga being happy
Great to hear fro you Helga!
Unfortunately, I think too often the Internet is in charge!
But I do take your point, the Internet is also incredibly powerful and useful. I guess the old adage “with great power comes great responsibility”. I guess the onus is on us to use it responsibly and not let it decide how we spend our time.
Much easier said than done, though.
Extremely difficult Paul and I do get sucked in spending time exploring because I am very curious.
Perhaps there is an explanation for this.
Just read an interesting book review.
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=13eb080d8a315477042e0d5b1&id=72956aa2b0&e=7e0cf5ce8f
I just find some wonderful information on the Internet and so what if I allow myself being controlled.
http://www.davinciinitiative.org/free-lesson-plans.html
check it out
Doing my breathing lines..
Paul, thank you so much for this post. I just discovered your site and it’s quite timely for me. (I can’t remember how I stumbled onto here, I guess that’s one of the good things about the internet!) Best to you in 2015, thanks for caring enough to share your insights and tips
Hi Paul,
I was very relaxed reading your information as I know your posts are really helpfull and interesting and that ‘s when I realise it is better to be very selective who’s information is worth reading and gives you a good feeling afterwards and your’s are certainly one of them .
Thanks a lot,
Debora