Un-Scheduling and Creativity

Few days ago I was listening to a Clubhouse conversation about the creator economy with AngelList founder Naval Ravikant. During the conversation someone asked him if he would be willing to participate in some event.

His answer positively surprised me!

He said, sorry but I live an unscheduled life, so I don’t want to have an event clogging my calendar so far in advance.

I always thought I was one of the few who really disliked having a schedule.

It always surprised me why people wanted to have a full schedule or a schedule at all, where they run from one obligation to another, living a life that is highly predetermined in advance, fully packed, without any room for spontaneity. Without any real freedom.

Were we humans meant to live like that?

To move on a clock that tells us at any time what we have to do next and where.

To me that always felt extremely unpleasant, like a state of anxiety of rushing from one obligation to another. Always thinking ahead or feeling like you are late.

I think one aspect that contributes to this societal behavior is our perception that if we are doing something predefined, be it either recreational, social or professional, then our activity feels more meaningful or more productive to us.

Maybe also if our schedule is fully packed, then our existence feels more meaningful to us.

But existence is meaningful on its own and should be enjoyable on its own.

Taking the time not to do anything or just spontaneously sitting down to write an article, as I am doing right now, and maybe half way through deciding to stop and to do some other non-predetermined activity, that is as meaningful.

Usually when I travel with friends, they all want to make advanced plans of what we are going to do tomorrow or where we will have dinner tonight and so forth. And I usually answer, why don’t we just live, and enjoy that we are here, and we can decide everything on the go.

After the Clubhouse conversation, I told Naval on twitter that I also enjoy an unscheduled life, because not only do I find it more pleasant but I think it is also conducive to creativity.

In my opinion Over-Scheduling gets in the way of creativity.

To be creative our brain needs to wander, our brain needs to feel free and express when it wants to express. That is why I think you cannot force creativity into time. Hence when you over schedule, you are only productive if it is a linear task and not a creative task.

Interestingly, the current pandemic disrupted everyone’s life structure and people for the first time discovered that there are other ways of living, and that there is joy in spontaneity.

I think scheduling is not natural to humans!

Clubhouse itself actually expresses the unscheduling concept.

In Clubhouse you can just join a conversation any time you want and leave any time you want. So basically you have the freedom to meet up with people without having to schedule.

Will there be any more innovations that will help us move society to more Un-Scheduling?

I think that would be beneficial for everyone.

Will there be any innovations that will help us work without a predefined schedule and still be highly productive?

That would be interesting!

Still in progress…