For many centuries, and even thousands of years, men were able to be left alone to create, using silence as a necessary condition for the flow of inspiration. Artists through the centuries enjoyed a sense of privacy and a kind of solitary confinement in which the most exquisite works of art were created. The most famous and revered creators in history were given the luxury of solitude in which they mastered time; an irony considering that the clock was not invented till the Renaissance and the living people of the Dark Ages could not have the concept of time as we know it today. Especially during the Renaissance, after the totalitarianism of the Church, artists single-mindedly pursued activities and searched for usable knowledge that helped hone their skills. They were even selective in the company they choose to keep. As a result, they were able to reach levels of concentration and mindfulness that can seldom be found in artists of modern times. As Leonardo Da Vinci -the ultimate Renaissance man-once said:  the painter must be solitary to be fully himself.

          Modern society has seen an overwhelming increase in technological and scientific advances, which have been of great help to humanity. But our current times are seeing an epidemic that is slowly creeping on us and is beginning to have a crippling effect in our minds, ultimately  altering our sense of reality. Even though we live many more years, we no longer have enough time. I attribute this phenomenon to information overload.

Our great advances have brought us face book and twitter, and u-tube and blogging. We can no longer function without our cell phones, and the number of television sets and computers has began to exceed the number of members in every household…We feel we have to be constantly available and reachable to anyone, and when we don’t, we are saddled with a feeling of guilt. We receive too many links from too many sources that rob us of true substantial information. It becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate between quality and quantity. Multitasking at that many levels affects our ability to perform a task single-mindedly well. Distraction is the main killer of Mastery.

           In his best selling book “How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci. Seven Steps to Genius every day“, Michael Gelb says it best: “…In Five hundred years we have moved from a world where everything was certain and nothing changed to a world where nothing seems certain and everything changes. The sheer availability of information has launched a tsunami of seeking. At the same time, the information glut contributes to pervasive cynicism, fragmentation, and a sense of helplessness. We have more possibilities and more freedom that any people who have ever lived. Yet, there is more junk, more mediocrity and more garbage to sort through than ever too…”

          Less than two centuries ago, people had neither phones nor cars, but they had time. Time to devote to their families and friends and time to devote to their craft. They had no need for guilt over unanswered emails or unreturned phone calls. They had no need to attend a conference that was held two thousand miles away to further their careers… It is true that the internet has made it possible to gain information without the need to leave the house; hence, it is also true that being able to do so many things from the comfort of our own homes have made us lazy and unhealthy. Yet, we feel we are constantly busy with one activity or another, doing exactly “what“?

          As a result of having experienced first hand this crippling effect of modern technology, I choose to have a limited participation in it. Yes, I do have a computer, a cell phone and a big screen TV since I love good movies. However,  I listen to classical and uplifting music or read instead of watching TV. I choose to have control over my time, rather than letting time control me. This allows me to achieve a level of concentration which enables me to be a better artist, to leave more meaning and emotion in every piece. I create in an uncluttered, beautiful and peaceful environment exempt of any electronic devices -no phone there- except for my beloved music player in which there is always inspiring and healing sounds coming from. This does not mean I am anti-social or I don’t care about others; to the contrary, it is because I care deeply and I am extremely sensitive to my environment that I need to do all those things to keep me whole.

  This has become a way of living and thinking for me and it truly has made me a better human being. Happily, I have found that most people respect and accept me this way and if so, one can’t help by wondering…

Why aren’t more people doing the same?

Marta Crawford 2011