Beware the busy

photo of woman writing on tablet computer while using laptop

Yesterday I watched Ex Machina. I enjoyed the movie, even the predictable ending, but the part that really interested me was when they discussed one of Jackson Pollock's works, saying 'what if instead of making art, he (Pollock) said 'I can't paint anything unless I know exactly why I'm doing it' -what would have happened?' What indeed.

Busy does not equal important. This is something I constantly have to remind myself of when I find myself doing things that may not be the best use of my time. Sometimes I think that being busy means that I'm doing something important, but then I finish whatever it is I'm doing and realise that it wasn't all that important, and was doing it for the sake of keeping busy.

This probably stems from a sort of fear we have of being idle, or at least I have that fear, and I'm constantly thinking up stuff to do to keep myself engaged. I think this is a good thing though, I couldn't imagine lying on a beach all day, and I also dislike gaming because of the addictive tendencies it has that stop me from doing something creative (although, you can very easily be creative in a computer game). You just have to be sure that what you are doing is not just for the sake of keeping you busy I guess. And at the same time, you don't exactly need a clear purpose to do anything either.

ENJOYED THIS? HAVE MORE.

MOUNTAINS OF WISDOM

Subscribe to my yamabushi newsletter

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Tim Bunting AKA Kiwi Yamabushi on Zao-san
Your moment of truth
Tim Bunting AKA Kiwi Yamabushi on Zao-san
Big deal
Tim Bunting AKA Kiwi Yamabushi on Zao-san
Slow but methodical

YAMABUSHI BLOG POSTS

gray monk statue in between plant pots
What Buddha Teaches us of The Power of the Subconscious
woman girl animal dog
Process and Progress: The uncomfortable becomes comfortable
muggs of tea placed on wooden border
Climbing Mt. Chokai every day

RANDOM POSTS

photo of man standing on top of mountain
Build leverage
gray monk statue in between plant pots
When the unexpected happens
black mattress in front of a large window behind a mountain
A license for freedom
Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Get In Touch

Sakata City, Yamagata, Japan 

tim@timbunting.com

Share this:

Like this:

Like Loading...
Scroll to Top