Dan Wineman shared a profound insight on Twitter:
You say “looks like somebody has too much time on their hands” but all I hear is “I’m sad because I don’t know what creativity feels like.”
In place of “creativity” Wineman might have as easily said “persistence.” I found Wineman’s quote in a post by Dan Meyer responding to criticism of his research projects.
I’ve said that someone has too much time on their hands, but not since I read Meyer’s post. I see now that the phrase is often a sour grapes response to creativity. I don’t want to do that anymore.
When we see that someone has spent a thousand hours on a project that we think was a frivolous, it’s easy to say “what a waste of time.” We think how much good could have been done with that same amount of effort. But what was the realistic alternative? If that same person had spent a thousand hours in front of their television instead, no one would ever know and no one would ever criticize them. Instead, they created something.
Tree house photo from Succeed Blog. Full size photo.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
John Moeller 11.07.09 at 15:51
Great post, John.
Jason Adams 11.08.09 at 07:41
Excellent point! I will never say that phrase again, unless it has to do with polka music.
Jason Adams 11.08.09 at 07:46
Sorry for the double comment, but I just noticed on your weekend miscellany a link to succeed blog, which is a site teeming with “too much time on their hands” examples. Seen in a different light, the creativity and dedication necessary to do things like creating a penny pyramid is quite remarkable.
JD Long 11.08.09 at 11:04
very self aware and insightful post. When I say TMTOTH what I think I mean, is “if I had that much time I would do something else with it.” Which is a pretty judgmental thing for a guy like me to say. I’m usually choosing between another beer and a nap.
alex land 11.10.09 at 20:53
@ JD : that’s where self-discipline comes in. So often, I desperately want to do something like build a manned spacecraft out of popsicle sticks, or an Empire Sate Bldg out of spaghetti (using cooked spaghetti though, not the dry stuff like that lazy ass on succeed.com used)– even though what i really need is a (another) beer or a nap, or frankly, both. So when i’m hit with these impulses to “succeed”, it’s only through extraordinary exexrcize of willpower that i somehow force myself to keep my ass glued to the sofa and watch the second half of the game.