It's been an eventful week. I've had a tree die and crash through my window and witnessed a woman nearly drown in front of me. It's got me pretty agitated, so I figured now would be as good a time as any - to embark on an experiment to quell my relentless need for distraction. The agitation that goes along with not being good at focusing for long periods can cause huge dips in productivity - and now that I'm running my own business - and have no boss to answer to - the only person who suffers if yours truly isn't working efficiently - is - well - yours truly.
Enter: The Art Challenge. A 3 hour exercise in focus and patience - pioneered by art historian Jennifer Roberts. One piece of art. 3 hours. No phones. No laptops. No friends. Just you, a notebook and pen - and the art of your choice. How hard could it be? Right?? Right?? hmmmm....
So - having committed to meeting a friend at the art gallery who would help me choose a painting for the 3 hour art challenge - I knew there was no backing out.
Happy to report - I made it to the full 3 hours. Was it uncomfortable? Hell yes. Did I learn anything? Oh yeah baby. It was a fascinating experiment and one I highly recommend (if you can find 3 hours to spare). If you can't even begin to think of finding 3 hours to stare at a piece of art - well - the next 30 minutes will give you the next best experience. :D
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/wellbeing/wellbeing-oliver-burkeman-patience-four-thousands-weeks-book-1168413
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