Last year, psychologist Adam Grant introduced us to the idea of languishing – a feeling he describes as “a sense of emptiness, stagnation and ennui.” He called it “‘the neglected middle child of mental health’ and […] suggested it might be the dominant emotion of our time.” (You can watch his TED Talk about languishing below)
For me, languishing manifests itself less in any of the behaviors he describes (doom scrolling, bad sleep, binge watching) than in a rut in creation. When I am languishing for whatever reason, I find it incredibly difficult to be creative.
I’ve often wondered why this creative rut often appears in the summer, when I would arguably have more time for creative pursuits, with the pause in school and other work commitments. But Adam Grant’s research gave the answer. The best predictor of happiness (and decreased languish) is flow.
In other words, I need the routine of the school year and a regular, predictable schedule (with predictable times to dip into creative work) to avoid the creative desert that is languishing. I think of it as my creative season, and I’m delighted to be back into it.