“I’m so bored.”

A phrase I hear, and say, in my everyday life.

The moment I feel a sense of stillness — waiting in line, sitting on a bus, waiting for the microwave — I grab my phone. It’s a reflex, born from not wanting to have nothing to do. If I’m not doing something, I feel an overwhelming wave of guilt.

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, boredom is seen as something to avoid at all costs. There is a constant need to be doing something — filling every quiet moment with scrolling, streaming or burying myself in work.

But I have learned, boredom isn’t the enemy. It can actually be a powerful tool that encourages creativity. When we allow ourselves to be bored, our minds are free to wander, imagine and connect ideas in new ways.

Boredom creates a certain mental state. Being bored challenges us to find meaning in the ordinary. When there’s nothing immediately engaging, we’re pushed to find our own entertainment. Without constant stimulation, the brain naturally finds something to focus on, leading to daydreams or problem-solving. This mental “downtime” sparks original, creative thoughts that wouldn’t otherwise emerge in a distracted state. Innovative breakthroughs — songs, stories, inventions — have been found in moments when the mind was wandering without reason. Creating something out of “nothing” is the basis of creativity itself.

Our culture treats boredom like a failure of productivity. We’re trained to “make use” of every spare minute — checking emails in line at the coffee shop, scrolling through TikTok in bed, listening to podcasts during a car ride. But all that noise leaves no room for the quiet mental wandering that creativity needs to breathe.

Boredom is not a void to be filled, but a space to be explored. By embracing moments of stillness, we permit our minds to think outside the box — and that’s where true creativity begins.