Despite the various modern technologies available to them, a growing number of creative types are returning to good old-fashioned pen and paper to draft ideas.
There are several reasons for this. Some people regard digital technology as distracting, with social media often sapping the attention spans of those wishing to get creative.
The excess of Facebook notifications, text messages and e-mails can make life extremely difficult when attempting to develop ideas into something useful and valuable. If you’re stuck in a rut and are looking for tips to be creative, read on.
Stimulating the brain
Studies have found that writing by hand stimulates the brain in ways that typing can’t. Though writing and drawing with your hands can lead to you working at a slower pace, this can be a positive thing.
We are constantly being told that technology allows us to do things more quickly, yet this can result in sloppy, underdeveloped work as we hastily aim to reach the finish lines.
When you write by hand, you cannot delete ideas, which means you can easily go back to something that you may have previously dismissed that might work after all, unlike with typing where the idea is gone forever.
Return to simplicity
Many people believe that ideas flow more naturally when we write or draw by hand.
The simple process of putting pen to paper can be highly-rewarding, with many people viewing scribbling and doodling as essential parts of the creative process.
Many creative types transport pocket notebooks around with them alongside their digital devices. Another problem many people have with technology is that it can sometimes let us down when we need it most, with apps crashing and smartphones freezing at pivotal points in the creative process.
Many great ideas have disappeared forever while attempts to commit them to digital devices were being made.
What’s more is that pen and paper allow you to get your thoughts down at any point no matter where you are, without even having to power up your digital device.
Related: Does paper speaks to your heart? Science say it just might!
Escape from digital hyperactivity
Taking the step of physically writing things down can also help you to remember them more easily.
Some people regard blank digital documents as being somewhat intimidating, with paper viewed as welcoming, reassuringly old-fashioned and nostalgic.
Working with a pen and paper can free us from digital hyperactivity, slow our minds down to a gentler pace and give us a valuable break from the screens that have come to dominate our daily lives.
If you’re hoping to unblock creativity and get the ideas flowing, paper may well be the solution, helping you work through various challenges until you gain the outcome you require.
Try making the switch back to pen and paper today if you feel that digital is letting you down.
