When I lived in the city that is the Big Apple, my iPod was like a vital organ. I could not survive outside of my apartment without it. I usually installed the earbuds before leaving, and would not take them off until I was in a place where it was necessary to interact with other people. That would be a business school class, all other interaction was deemed unnecessary. Incredibly rude, I know. I am much more connected to the rest of the world now. My iPod is used only at the gym, or on a bike ride. I don’t wear it while in a store, or in a car, on the subway (easy since there is no subway here) or a restaurant.
The flash card featured in the aforementioned post was relevant not only to when I wear my iPod, but when I am in the zone, or the groove. It may take me a while to come up with an idea or a solution to a problem that I’ve been working on, but when that lightbulb goes on, I must run and hide. If I get on a roll, I must shut everything else (aka the real world) out. I turn off all my phones (yes, all of my phones, there are three), I turn off the TV, shut down the e-mail window and pull down the shades. Sometimes I allow music in, but it all depends on the level of attention required and the activity in progress. Reading – no music. Writing, sketching, or excel modelling, probably music.
So, if not hooked up to your iPod, where are you when someone knocks on your bubble telling you that “you’re wanted in the real world.” Or, are you already out there interacting and brainstorming? Do you have to be somewhere specific, with specific ambiance to maximize your creativity?
