To Be More Creative, Create an “Analog Table”
When I find it difficult to write, when I feel stuck or distracted, or like I’m the biggest impostor in the world , I force myself to step back from the screen. I work from home, so I take a mini notebook and pen and move my body – I can stretch out on the floor, go outside and sit in a rocking chair, or walk in circles around the house. I’ve written before about how movement unlocks my brain .
It might make sense for me to end up doing what author Austin Cleon does and setting up two desks, one “analog” and one “digital.” In his book Stealing Like an Artist, Cleon explains:
I have two desks in my office – an analogue and a digital one. On an analog table, there is nothing but markers, pens, pencils, paper, index cards, and newspapers. Nothing electronic is allowed on this table. This is where most of my work is born, and physical traces, scraps and remnants of my process lie all over the table. (Unlike a hard drive, paper doesn’t break.) On the digital table are my laptop, monitor, scanner, and drawing tablet. This is where I edit and publish my work.
He writes that “sitting at the computer all day is killing you and killing your job.” I believe that. For me, internet access is not only a distraction (I have a problem with tabs ), but also a crutch. When I started writing with pen and paper again, I felt jittery, as if I needed to read 10 more articles on the topic or search for the best synonyms on Thesaurus.com. What I really needed to do was write a few damn words on the page. Moving away from digital technology taught me to feel more comfortable with my own brain and let it do what it already knows how to do.
If you’re feeling stuck in creative work, having a dedicated analog workstation can help you find joy in your craft again, whether you’re shooting movies, books, or PowerPoint presentations. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Set up your analog table so you don’t look at your digital instruments. It has been proven that the mere presence of a smartphone can negatively affect your ability to think and solve problems, even when it is turned off.
- Bring some analog instruments that require the use of your hands. When I write long stories, I like to jot down the main ideas on index cards and shuffle them around my desk to visualize different ways of structuring the story.
- At the analog table, allow yourself to play. This is where you have to try crazy ideas, even if they are terrible. When you feel some sense of completion in your work, then you can return to your digital desk to accomplish and refine what you just created. If you get stuck again, go back to analog. Then repeat. Your body will move all day and ideas will keep flowing.