One of the most frustrating things about inspiration is that you cannot find it as easily as looking at its Estimated Time of Arrival on a flight itinerary. I know the taxing and excruciating feeling of having my senses, mind, and spirit subdued by a tedious unending inconvenience, hindering my accessibility to the next stage of enlightenment.
I already know what you’re thinking, “How do I prevent boredom? What’s the solution for it?”
I have the same recurring thoughts, but unfortunately, the solution varies from person to person. It may feel like we are searching for a four-leaf clover, but we all find it eventually because everyone needs inspiration much like the human body needs oxygen.
I understand better than anyone that it is a strenuous task to discover a solution to boredom when a definitive description for it is nonexistent.
But the way apathy repeatedly invades the privacy of our homes and personal space without permission, it should face steep consequences for illegal trespassing and torture.
The essence of boredom is a critically arduous thing for anyone to full interpret when you see people facing itse affliction – even when they are doing meaningful jobs and activities that they once found profound and eventful.
We all seek inspiration. Not only is it a necessity, but it is deep within our human nature. Though I myself am always in pursuit of inspiration, it usually takes me several tries and a few blunders to find it. Everyone makes mistakes, but we eventually need to learn from them.
Some individuals indulge in excessive alcohol consumption, junk food, and so on. I know I am guilty of occasionally partaking in too much junk food when I cannot find anything to quickly neutralize my boredom – and it always returns after my stomach is full.
All the well-renowned professionals in their niche have gone on to gain the most-esteemed accolades because they found their way to it with inspiration. A lot of them found their muse in the most unconventional places and ways, I might add. Stephen King, for example, reached his inspiration for his highly acclaimed chilling novel, The Shining, when he and his wife stayed at an immense, old hotel, where they happened to be the only two guests.
The artists Grand Wood spent years in Europe searching for inspiration but did not find his muse to create his masterpiece, American Gothic, until he returned to the Heartland.
It is easier to bump into boredom than inspiration, and that might be one of the cruelests things ever foisted upon humanity. Boredom is a tricky and unhealthy paralysis impeding you from grasping your full creativity. It is a silent killer that strikes swiftly without announcing itself, which I get a continuous reminder of whenever I wake up from one of my unscheduled naps. I deeply resent the unbearably bitter and empty feeling of it.
But despite my aversion for the egregious pain of dullness, there is still something quite beautiful and soothing about the grueling exploration to inspiration that boredom imposes upon you.
It gives me the perpetual opportunity to do some self-reflection, try new things, grow, and discover deeper layers of my identity. I have been able to grow as a person because I use my downtime to ponder the next steps in my life, no matter how small or big they are. I’ve come to love the peace and seclusion because it affords me the time and space to dive deep into my thoughts. Boredom, ironically, has become therapeutic for me.
So sure, boredom may be a detestable nuisance, but it is also an essential commodity for self-discovery. It can guide you to find activities that will stimulate your mood and help you fixate your attention on something that lasts longer than it takes to change a light bulb. Boredom is your shadow, and it will frustrate you to death, or it will galvanize and lead you on an extraordinary journey to find your muse, your niche. It all depends on which path you take.