E94 Creative Silence
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Beth: [00:00:00] Here.
[00:01:00] Yes.
Hello my creative friend. Welcome back to another episode of Create Today with Beth Buffington. We are in the midst of a three week miniseries about strengthening your creativity using simple practices that you can fold into your day as easily as you would add chocolate chips to cookie dough. So last week was our first week and we discussed how to incorporate a 10 minute everyday creative reset into your day that will help you stay focused and can even help calm anxiety.
And I am so glad that you are here right now for this episode about using silence to open space for creativity. Today you are going to find some simple and almost magical ways to slow down a racing mind [00:02:00] and generate new, amazing ideas, and you are going to learn about a small toolkit that you can add to your creative toolbox to help you use silence to its fullest.
And as an added bonus, you'll be able to download my freebie, unplug and play that will help you use all the information that we talk about today. But first, let me explain why silence is important to your creativity. And let's start with a story. So Tom and I, we love to spend a week at a little cottage in Michigan, and I love, love, love walking on the beach.
That is just minutes from our cottage. I usually would take my phone with me to take pictures and catch up on my favorite podcasts while I walked along the beach.
But on this particular [00:03:00] day, a couple years ago, something wasn't working with my internet provider and my phone wasn't able to connect to any of my podcasts or my audio books. So while I was down at the beach, I was cut off from the world of streaming and scrolling for my whole walk. I was on the beach alone with just me and my rambling thoughts.
And let me tell you, at first, I felt oddly exposed, not having my phone to do all of its things. It made me feel a little lost and, um, almost vulnerable.
now, I had been looking forward to listening to several podcasts that had popped into my library that day, and I briefly wondered, should I turn around or should I shorten my walk? Then I decided it was what it was.
And I love my beach walks, so off [00:04:00] I went. And I have to admit the first few minutes of my walk, my mind. It just pouted like a toddler about my phone. Oh, poor me. I'm gonna be a little bored. And then, then my mind, it bounced from thought to thought about like, oh, what do I, what am I gonna do for dinner?
Do we have all the ingredients we need for what we were gonna fix? And I worried about an email that I forgot to write, andthenI remember comparing beach hats on the. The people that walked by me.I was jumping around like a little monkey. Then about 10 minutes into my walk, something interesting happened.
My mind stopped making lists of things I needed from the store. It stopped worrying about emails. It stopped comparing hats, and it just
started to wander,
It was kind of a meandering, drifting kind of [00:05:00] thing. I started noticing colors and textures and sounds and smells that were surrounding me. I started noticing more.
The cool sand and the tickling waves on my feet. I listened to the seagulls call to each other, and I noticed how each seagull had unique speckles on their white head. I noticed the blending of the sky into the lake, and it made me consider how I might blend those colors in a painting or inside procreate.
And I noticed the amazing variety and sizes and colors and shapes of the rocks along the beach. and started to think about art crafts that I could make for gifts, ideas for project.
Or answers to creative questions. Well, they all percolated tiny, manageable, intriguing. They all felt bright and doable and [00:06:00] inspiring. I walked over two miles on the beach that day alone with my thoughts, and I wasn't bored.
I'd been listening, seeing, collecting, observing, and it was also inspirational, my friend. That's the power of silence, and when I say silence, I mean silence away from screens, social media, email, televisions, and even music.
this kind of unplugged silence, gives our brain time to exhale and then time to breathe again. And start to cultivate the creativity that we have inside us. Today we're going to explore the power of this kind of silence. Now, our last episode was a creative micro reset that [00:07:00] you can just slip into a busy day.
And this episode is a slightly bigger lifestyle nudge. It's taking time. To use the absolute gold you're going to find of practicing how to unplug and play so that silence can become your go-to creative tool for brainstorming. And my friend science says that silence is actually golden.
Let's look at just some of the facts that show that creativity and silence are partners for inspiration and stronger creativity. First, experiments in social psychology show that thinking in silence without external noise enhances divergent thinking and even supports more innovations.
[00:08:00] second, studies have shown engaging in silence reduces stress markers. More than if you experienced the same amount of time listening to music or an ambient noise.
And third studies also show that being in nature can boost. Convergent creative thinking. In a 2025 study, participants who took a walk in nature showed more improved performance on structured creative tests compared to before their walk
And last, when you combine a little movement with your silence, you get even more bang for your proverbial buck. A Stanford study showed that walking boosts creative thinking participants who walked even indoors increased their creative output compared to when they just sat. [00:09:00] Wow, that's amazing.
So you can see it is clear that science supports the importance of silence.
So the simple fact is creativity loves silence. It thrives in quiet reflection and rumination. and another amazing benefit of silence is. It is free. It's not a fancy art or craft supply that you need to buy, and it takes up absolutely no space in a drawer or a studio or anywhere in your house.
So what's not to love about silence? Let's now explore how you can unplug and play and use silence. To boost your creativity. I have prepared a silence challenge for you this week. I'm going to walk you [00:10:00] through a sensory walk that you can plan to do anytime this week on your own.
First, I want you to think of a place, imagine this in your head right now as you listen, where you'll be able to enjoy where you walk. It can be around your block, it can be through your garden. It can be at a park. Pick a spot where you know you'll enjoy the view.
Now, when you on your walk, you're going to put your phone in your bag, your backpack, your pocket, where you can't see it. I want you to set it on vibrate so you'll be less tempted to check out notifications. And then as you start, I want you to take a slow breath in and a slow exhale out. This is going to help your body know that you're starting this sensory walk.[00:11:00]
And then for the next few minutes, I want you to concentrate on. One or more of the following things. Number one, I want you to concentrate on noticing sounds from nature, and I mean really listen and not to what you think you should hear, but what is really happening around you. Are you hearing birds or wind or trees rustling?
Are there bees buzzing? Do you hear water? Quietly observe what you are hearing. and or you could concentrate on noticing textures. That would be the feel of the ground beneath your feet, the feel of the wind in your face, or maybe some, um, sea spray that you are getting splashed on as you walk along the beach.
Maybe it's the bark on a stick, or velvety petals of a flower that you pick up along your walk. Another thing you can concentrate on [00:12:00] noticing is colors. Look for small patches of colors that you wouldn't have noticed if you were walking with your phone and see what surprises you most.
Is it the color intensity you see in flowers? Is it nature's brilliant way of blending colors together from like water to sky or tall scrub grass into a meadow? What are the colors that you're noticing and why are they interesting? The fourth thing that you can concentrate on noticing are patterns. The intricate pattern in the veins of a leaf, the repetition that you see in the slats of a fence, the pattern on a caterpillar, stripe, or the patterns created by shadows that are dancing as you walk along.
Or maybe the patterns from cracks in the ground from pavement or cobblestones, or if it's dry, just the cracks in the ground [00:13:00] itself.
You may choose to concentrate on one of these categories for each walk that you might take, such as only look for round objects or focus on a particular flower or a particular flower's color, or observe the blending between earth and sky. Or you may just let your brain muse on all the flora and fauna that you are experiencing.
As you are noticing the world around you, let your attention linger for a moment. But if your mind wanders off, your creative reflections to whatever demands you have in your day, gently bring it back to your observations. No judgment, just pull your mind back to the world of your walk.
Focusing on these observations will help you slow racing thoughts from thinking about your [00:14:00] grocery list or a health scare or politics, and any other thoughts that would normally derail a creative awakening, and that's the magic of being unplugged at silence. Finally, relax and let your mind just flow freely.
If you wander into a red zone of worry, just tell yourself, I will think about that later. I'm walking right now. And note the thought that had you worried and imagine pinning it to a bulletin board that you can say, I'll be back to you when my walk is over. Now while your brain is wandering, enjoy the peace just as though you are finally on vacation.
these moments of silence you've allowed yourself to enjoy. Treat them like vacation. No work. Just restful thoughts. And when you return from your walk, take a moment to reflect. [00:15:00] See if there's a whisper of an idea sitting with you and write it down.
That's your creative breadcrumb and my friend. And my friend. Be prepared for glorious revelations too. There will be times when the whisper of an idea comes to you full volume, an exclamation of a fantastic idea that you are on fire to pursue.
So let me explain why this works and why it's not just. Woo.
Number one, it slows down that nonstop input stream that erupts from our daily culture. And number two, unplugging and reveling in a bit of silence lets your mind have room to weave connections. And this allows for the birth of ideas and solutions to problems.
Number three, when you unplug and play. The noticing of sensory [00:16:00] objects in nature anchors you in your body and in your environment. By bypassing, overthinking, and overwhelm, you'll begin to see and observe and make connections between small things if you would have otherwise missed. And number four,
you give yourself permission to enjoy a pace and to enjoy it in a space of quiet that helps the default mode network in your brain run smoother. Now the default mode network is associated with introspective thoughts, memory, idea, recombination, and problem solving.
So why wouldn't you want that to work smoother, right? so as you experiment with what works best for you, You'll discover that some walks will feel richly charged with new energy or answered questions, and others [00:17:00] will feel just quietly refreshing.
Both are useful and highly effective for feeling creatively, happier and healthier in heart, mind, body, and soul.
Now let's take a break to hear a word about the offerings available for your creativity here inside. Create today.
If on this podcast you have loved discovering new insight and challenges and activities that you can do to energize and grow your creativity and you are looking for, A friendly place where you can build the habits that can grow your creative confidence and reach goals for your creative dreams.
Come and join me inside the Create Today membership. this is a safe space where you can grow your skills as a creative and map out the path you have for your creative goals. [00:18:00] Every month you'll enjoy activities, challenges, and speakers to grow your skills and reach your goals, and you'll be encouraged by a community who will celebrate your progress.
When you are ready for a gentle, practical way to bring more creative habits into your life, come meet me in person. Go to www dot bdi, create today and look up at the menu. Go down to membership, and you can join for one month at a very low introductory rate, or my friend. Just look to the show notes and you'll get a live link that will take you straight.
To the Create Today membership.
Now, I know you might be thinking, Beth, you don't understand. You see, I, I need my music, my podcasts, and my audio books and my social media. I need them [00:19:00] because I can't be bored or I go crazy without having something to do and I get it. My podcasts and audio books. Help me through a lot of boring chores and activities that I have to do.
You can find me unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes, running errands, driving to my folks' house two and a half hours away. You can find me listening to my favorite podcast or my latest audio book. So I'm not saying stop your screen time. No, not at all. But I am saying, look how much time you are spending on your screen during a day and during the week.
I imagine you might be shocked to see how many hours are spent absorbing noise and random info into your brain. This constant information keeps your mind from processing your own thoughts and ideas. So here's what I [00:20:00] suggest Start small.
find 15 minutes or half an hour, or if you're really brave, an hour. once a day, or maybe several times during this next week, and allow for some silence to unplug and play and be prepared. The first time you try this, you might feel a little restless, but when you feel restless, remind yourself.
that restlessness, that is your brain shifting gears. your brain is addicted to checking the feed on your phone or looking at the next video on YouTube, because that has become a default habit. So when you try something new, allow your mind to be restless and just breathe through it.
My friend know. Notice the urge and name it. Oh, hello, scrolling monkey, and Keep unplugging and [00:21:00] playing.
It's kind of like becoming acclimated to the water in a swimming pool. You know, the temperature may feel icy, cold, and super uncomfortable when you first get into the pool, right?
but after a few minutes, you get warmed up and the water feels great. The same thing happens when you unplug and you play that initial discomfort softens, and you'll start to notice the benefits that your mind will generate.
Now in case you're thinking, Beth, I do not have time for us sensory walks this week or pretty much any week. What else do you have? You know, I've got you. Here are three easy, practical ways to weave silence into your days and your weeks. The first one is the micro unplug, and you can try this two times a day, maybe once in the morning or afternoon.
And then just before you go to bed, give yourself at least 10 minutes, but [00:22:00] I would try 15 or even half an hour, but at least 10 minutes of being phone free. And then I want you to choose an activity that you will do instead of looking at your phone. That will let your mind wander in a device free silence, and then I dare you to build up.
If you start at 10, try 20. If you start at 20, try half an hour and see how much time it takes before you start seeing the benefits that unplug and play can have for you. This is especially wonderful to do at bedtime. You're gonna get a double win here because you will. Get moments for your brain to explore.
And when you turn off your equipment, your phones, your devices, a half an hour or an hour before you go to bed, you'll sleep better too. What's not to love there? Okay. The second one is [00:23:00] screen free meals. So how many of you show of hands, and I, my hand is up here because I do this all the time. How many of you have a meal, especially like lunch during the workday where we have to eat alone?
And so because you're eating alone, you know you might as well entertain yourself, right? So one hand is feeding ourselves and the other hand is scrolling on the phone. Does that sound familiar? instead, here's what you try for a unplug and play activity. Eat outside or eat where you can look out of a window and just let your mind wander as though you were out on a sensory walk.
You'll probably enjoy your food more. You will eat slower, which is better for your digestion, and all these things are better for your overall happiness and health. [00:24:00] Because you've slowed down and you are mindfully eating, it's gonna leave that time for your brain to ruminate and consider and think of some amazing things.
Number three, capture quickly. So this activity is you carrying a notebook or a notes app on your phone, and I realize that that feels like cheating 'cause I just told you to unplug and play. But some of you are truly trying to go paper free. So having that notes app on your phone is going to be a really quick way to jot down notes.
So it's okay to capture a thought, but then put your phone down. Okay, so when you realize you've wandered into an area where your brain is. Crunch it away at some cool ideas and an idea pops into your head, jot it down. This is a great way to prove to yourself that these moments of silence are [00:25:00] actually brilliant times of brainstorming, and some of us just need to have a little bit of that proof before you're willing to invest actual quantity time into a project or into a practice.
Right? And the fourth thing that I want you to think about is, it's called the mini ritual. And this is where you're going to end each quiet time, whatever that might be, with one small creative action. It's, uh, maybe a quick sketch or
You're gonna jot down three words that you thought of, or a quick poem Quick mini rituals. And again, my friend, this is a lovely way to just keep a library of all the ideas that you've collected during these silent moments.
This gives you that evidence that you are spending your time wisely, and it helps you from forgetting those brilliant notions that your brain shared and remember my friend, you might [00:26:00] feel some resistance when you first try to unplug and play that urge to check your phone.
It's strong, and I get it. we have a knee-jerk reaction to avoid boredom. So don't feel alone, but don't succumb to it either. Notice that restlessness let it pass. The average awkward feeling only lasts about 90 seconds.
So telling yourself this too will pass, will allow that feeling to pass. It will let you keep unplugging and it will help you listen to your authenticity so you can discover what your creative voice is trying to tell you.
now let's take one more break to hear another word about the offerings available for your creativity here inside Create Today. if you are enjoying the ideas and activities that are shared here inside [00:27:00] the Create Today Podcast, it is time for you to go a little deeper and move from practice to progress.
So come and register for one of the Create Day workshops. These are ready now sessions where you can learn a new creative skill, sharpen your creative mind, build a better creative process, or understand how to build your own creative confidence or to make some super fun arts. And you can find a workshop that will strengthen your creativity in any area that you need.
You can find it at www dot bdi, create Do today, and go up to menu and scroll down to events, and it'll take you to all the workshops that are available right now.
Or my friend, you can always look to the show notes to get a live link to take you straight to the workshops.[00:28:00]
So creative silence. It is a brave act of unplugging and playing and if you've never tried it before, or it's been a while since you gave yourself permission to be. Silent. You are in the right place today. This episode is your invitation
to give silence a try. Try it tonight, tomorrow, later this week, you decide that. Make a plan. Put it in your calendar. Set that time and a place where you can unplug and play. And remember, if the whole silent sensory walk seems a little too large for you right now,
look through the toolkit I've shared with you today and choose one of the micro unplug activities and allow yourself to use a few minutes to enjoy a moment of noticing this small bit of silence. And then ramp it up, my friend.
[00:29:00] Use this tool, use silence for the unbelievable results that it can shower down on. You. Remember, these ideas already exist in your head. They just can't find a way out into the world because the noise of screens and social media are blocking their paths. So open up this creative portal and revel in the results that you receive.
So to make life easy and breezy, I've put together this free guide for you how to unplug and play. And inside you'll find The instructions for the sensory walk, a description of each of the mini toolbox of micro unplug ideas that you can try, and a couple journaling prompts to help you grow those tiny creative sparks that you're collecting.
You'll find a link in the show notes, grab it, print it, and use it this week. Next [00:30:00] week we're going to explore the everyday extraordinaire, how small creative acts can be extraordinary. We will shift to a celebratory mode as we observe how tiny acts of creativity, a sketch on a napkin, rearranging flowers, playful creative cooking, lighting, candles for dinner on a Tuesday.
How these little things can lift your mood and shift your week to better creativity, my friend, your creativity is waiting for you to take full advantage of all it has to offer, and as you unplug and play and wander into the brilliance that silence has to offer you.
Remember, it is such a blessing for your happiness and health. When you stay creative, my [00:31:00] friend.
