Patience-Based Hobbies for the Chronically Distracted

Patience-Based HobbiesFor the chronically distracted

I get bored easily.

I like to do things.

I keep myself occupied with the weird andthe new.

I like to go places.

I like to see amazing things.

I like to read things.

I require stimuli.

I seek novelty.

New, new new.

Go, go, go.

Everything goes to 11.

If it doesn’t, I get bored.

Go, Go.

Go, Go, Go, Go, Go.

So much going. I go.

People near me go!

We are always on.

On, On, On!

Go, Go, Go!

And then. Stop.

Crash.

On or off.

It’s exciting. Me. My sister, Maggie.

But it is also exhausting. My sister, Maggie. Me. I’ve been like this a long time.

One day, I realized this was happening. Me On Off On Off On Off On Off On

Ratcheting up.

Not coming back down.

My only weapon was sleep.

Weird things started happening to me.

I felt over-amped.

I felt jittery.

I felt anxious.

So much internal noise.

It was very tiring.

Things felt off-kilter and jarring.

I didn’t know how to make it stop.

And then, in 2008

I got sick.

This was not much fun.

But it forced me to lay around a lot.

And think and read a lot.

I thought about things I liked a lot.

I noticed a pattern.

For example, photography.

A long-time hobby.

The times I most enjoyed photography...

Were the slow times

And the images I sought out most...

Were the simple...

even...boring ones.

Simple.

Somewhat repetitive.

A light went on.

What if activities that force repetitionand patience led to a kind ofhappiness?

Some moments when I take photos

I am neither on nor off

I just...am.

The premise is basic.

Light touches a medium or sensor that is photo-sensitiveAn image is created

You can jazz it up all youlike

But in the end, the premise is still basic

Could other slow, basic thingsmake me feel this quiet?

Letterpress

Moveable type* is inked,then pressed into paper* Or a plate

My tabletop letterpress

A basic, antique premise.

Repetitive.

Tactile.

Sorting type.

Organizing, thinking carefully, cleaning.

Cannot be rushed.

Manual.

Quiet.

Perfect.

Distillation (2009)

The premise is simple.

To distill is to separatesomething into constituent parts

Steam Distillation.

Steam DistillationMaterial is suspended above waterWater is boiled, forcing steam through material,extracting oilsSteam is cooled back to liquid form via a condenserSeparated oil and water comes out

Ancient, with a simple premise.

Repetitive.

Tactile.

Manual.

Perfect.

Clockwork and gears (2010)

All things clockworkHave an energy sourceHave a way to control the flow of energyUse gears to adjust speed

When I was 17, I made a clock out ofpaper.

It didn’t work.

Go, go go. Rush rush rush.

This time, it’s different.

I’ve learned a bit.

Slowness. Patience.

Repetition.

Apply the quietness.

Perfect!

How to make thisexperience stick?

Choose things that are interesting andaesthetic (to you!).

Choose pastimes that allow you to create.

Seek out things that are tactile.

Engage in your repetitive activity duringdiscrete, scheduled times.

Accept (and enjoy!) that other parts of lifewill still be go, go, go.

Embrace meaningful tedium.

Be patient and enjoy!

Me.Lyza Danger Gardner@lyzadangerhttp://www.lyza.com

Image CreditsAll photos are mine and were taken by me, except: Slides 24, 41-44, 59, 61, 67, 90 by David Hoenig Slides 14, 27 by my mom, Fran Gardner Slides 17, 87 from Wikipedia (public domain) Slide 18 by my mother-in-law, Cathy Hoenig Slide 26 by my stepmother, Christie Mueller Slide 16 was taken by a former coworker, but by whom exactly, I do not know.

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Patience-Based Hobbies for the Chronically Distracted

by Lyza Gardner

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