I’m bored

I can’t always remember what I’ve eaten, or every piece of information I’ve consumed. But I do believe what I take in—food, drink, or content—shapes who I am today. And tomorrow, I’ll change again, depending on what I consume. That’s why, when it comes to consumption, I believe less is more. It’s not just about what we eat or drink, but also what we feed our minds.

If consumption is the yin, then digestion is the yang—and both matter. Just as the body needs time to turn nutrients into strength, the mind needs space to transform information into ideas. Yet today, that time and space are rare. It feels like we’ve lost our tolerance for boredom. Instead, we snack endlessly on stimulation—scrolling short clips like handfuls of potato chips—without even noticing.

So I’ve started to make myself bored on purpose. When waiting for food or commuting, I sit quietly with no phone, no book, nothing. Boredom makes other activities feel richer. After being bored, I return to demanding work with more energy and joy. But if my baseline is constant stimulation, even meaningful work becomes harder to enjoy.

For me, boredom is the digestion phase of creativity. It gives my brain the silence it needs to process everything I’ve taken in. And almost always, new ideas arrive in those moments when I’m doing nothing—when I’m not even trying to find them—when I’m bored.