the death of daydreaming

get your head back in the clouds!

I recently started reading The Artist's Way. By reading, I mean doing, because it’s technically a course - you have to do the work. It’s a course in discovering and recovering your creative self, and was first written in 1992 by Julia Cameron, and has been widely acclaimed for many years. You may have heard of The Artist's Way in passing, or have come across a TikTok that talks about ‘the morning pages’ or ‘artist date’. You guys, Doechii has done the Artist's Way and heck, she literally just won a Grammy. So it must work, right?

The purpose of mentioning this book is because there is a chapter in it that talks about your artist child and shadow self. When we are children, many of us dream of being actors, musicians, painters, writers, etc. As we grow older, that creativity in us can often be shut down by the negative voices in our heads or the negative voices around us. Our artistic urges are often ignored or suppressed. “Stop daydreaming!” or “You’ll never amount to anything if you keep your head in the clouds!”. Julia Cameron writes, “Children are urged into thinking of the arts as hobbies, creative fluff around the real edges of life”.

Adults rarely give ourselves permission to daydream. It is seen as fluff, as living in the clouds, as not being in touch with reality. Combine that with the noise that surrounds us daily, how fast-paced society is nowadays, as well as our dwindling attention spans, and throw in a bit of guilt for not using our ‘free time’ wisely, then really, we have ourselves a perfect concoction of living in the death of daydreaming era.

When was the last time you used your free time to just sit, and think? No screen in front of you, no screen in your hand... I mean, who is guilty of taking their phone to the toilet? Don't kid yourself, you know you do. When are we ever really disconnected and free to let our minds just... wander? When was the last time you felt like you were up in the clouds?

In the modern world we live in, where does one find time to let their minds run free and their creativity shine through? The line between trying to have it all but trying to live a balanced life is very blurred nowadays. Downtime is more important than ever to avoid the risk of burning out. Some of us thrive on the ‘hustle culture’ but still make sure we have time for doom-scrolling, creating content for Instagram or TikTok, or binge-watching our favourite show. Carving out time to ‘creatively think’ is not something I hear people say they have planned for the weekend. Everyone is soooooo busy, filling their lives with other activities, that it would be absurd if someone replied “Oh, you know, I am going to just let my mind wander this weekend and carve out some creative time with my spare time”. It’s usually, “Oh, I’ve got a dinner on, then I am seeing this new movie, then I have a Pilates class, catching up with a friend, etc.”

I get it. Our spare time is precious. Especially after a long day/week at work, we want to fill our free time with things that bring us joy. Daydreaming is very far down the list of priorities, if on the list at all, isn't it?

Author Roya A. Azadi has written a whole book on How to Be a Creative Thinker. In it, she teaches techniques to encourage creative thinking and shows how one can unlock their creative potential. She reveals that technology is inhibiting our ability to daydream and explains why this headspace is so important if you want to ‘catch a live one’. It’s a practical guide to the science and the psychology of creativity and the conditions required for cultivating it.

Daydreaming vs overthinking

Given there are entire books written on how to actually think creatively and give yourself permission to daydream, then it’s clear there is a want for it. But is there a clear difference between healthy mind wandering (creative thinking) and unhealthy mind wandering (obsessive-compulsive thoughts or overthinking)?

A lot of people say they have their best ideas in the shower, when they are driving, or when they are on the train, but how do we know if we are entering a blissful daydreaming state or a state of overthinking? This is where we can draw parallels to the pressure, pace, and stress of modern-day life. This era we are living in right now, this era of the three-second attention span, this era of multi-screening, this era of having a conversation with your friend via text, as well as WhatsApp, as well as Instagram DM’s ALL AT THE SAME TIME. This era is killing our ability to even attempt daydreaming in the first place.

As someone who is on medication to help with my obsessive-compulsive thoughts, you would think the thought of daydreaming would make me squirm. But to be honest, there is nothing more peaceful or content than staring out of my window, looking up into the sky, and just letting my mind wander in a sea of creativity... for about one minute before I feel guilty about wasting my time.

I wouldn't be writing this piece if I had the answers, but I will forever be on a quest to teach myself how to embrace daydreaming without feeling guilty for taking time out of my fast-paced life. Giving yourself permission to daydream is the first step. It takes persistence, self-discipline, and patience. Reading The Artist’s Way is my first step to using the tools to help me embrace my creative thinking, and letting my mind wander.

The best ideas come when you least expect it. Those ideas can come from carving out ‘creative time’ to let yourself daydream. Instead of picking up your phone, or turning on the TV, go and sit outside, look up at the sky, and just let your mind wander. It sounds simple, but boy it is hard.

Do it. Your inner child will thank you.

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who wrote this?

Sheena is a writer from Melbourne, who loves to find connection through shared obsessions and cultural deep dives. She co-hosts the Reality Notes podcast which is filled with pop culture zeitgeist-y chats and recaps of Bravo reality shows. She loves pondering life’s big (and ridiculous) questions, rewatching Vanderpump Rules like it’s a form of meditation, and getting lost in YouTube spirals of Hollywood award speeches. Writing is her favourite way to make sense of the world, hoping that someone, somewhere, might see themselves in her words.