Sidetrack or Side Quest?
Or: The Importance of Pulling Threads
This week I want to talk about distractions.
As an early-diagnosed ADHD-er, I have a complex relationship with distractions. I know them well: they’ve been my nemesis for years, while at times offering the source of my greatest creative flow. I think it’s time we as creatives make an important distinction among the activities that are often miscellaneously labeled as “distractions”: is this sidetracking me, or is this a side quest?
Now for those of you who didn’t grow up nerdy like me, a side quest is, in video game speak, “a player objective that is separate from the main plot line of a video game. Side quests are implemented to help connect the player to the world, introduce them to characters, and help them discover locations.” (MasterClass)
As I’ve been thinking lately about how to build space for creativity into my week instead of being constantly bogged down by to-dos and the productivity side, this idea of side quests has been popping into my head. Connecting to the world? Being introduced to new characters? Discovering new locations? If you apply these pillars of side quests to our non-virtual reality, those are all medicine for artists. They’re vital ingredients in the recipe for getting creatively un-stuck.
If you grew up around the same time as me, you may fondly remember childhood days sans responsibility where you logged onto your family computer and got lost in a Wikipedia labyrinth and came out the other side with a dearth of seemingly obscure facts. It may have seemed nonsensical to our parents, but we glowed with our newfound knowledge. We made time to follow our fascination.
I wager that we as adult creatives could benefit from making time for similar practices. We need the precious time to pull the thread and fall down research rabbit holes that lead us to unexpected places — because the things we find along those journeys spark inspiration and often take our projects in delicious new directions.
The natural question may follow: how does one parse the sidetracking activities that forestall our creativity from the side quests that offer creative benefits? Is this going to take you far afield of your destination or could you gain valuable tools or knowledge that will support your ultimate quest?
What defines a good side quest (and not one that leaves players throwing down their video game controllers in frustration) is a quality of helpfulness and a flavor of growth. In literary fantasy, side quests typically deliver the lessons the hero desperately needs to learn to overcome hurdles on their journey. In games, they usually provide the player with bonus tools and resources to aid in their main quest.
Now, if our research utilizes the internet, we can and often do get truly sidetracked (i.e. by social media). If this is one of your go-to distractions, try out browser blockers. As I’ve mentioned in a prior post, I will often be found cleaning my apartment as a distraction from the creative work I ought to be tending to. It is all too easy to get sidetracked when you can falsely categorize a distraction as productivity.
Sussing out side-trackers requires you to get clear about your intentions. If your goal for the hour is to tidy up, then cleaning is a win. If your goal is to do deep creative work, a clean apartment is a sidetrack.
Moral of the story: side quests may at first blush seem like distractions, but they leave you better equipped for your journey and, often, with a new perspective on the problem you’re trying to solve. Why should we cut ourselves off from forks in the road, as we so often do, in the name of efficiency? As long as you can hold the primary goal/project in your mind as you let curiosity be your compass, side questing isn’t a distraction, but rather the necessary fertilizer for your creativity. And in my opinion the best way to ensure a side quest isn’t sidetracked is to put it in your calendar.
No matter your profession, I challenge you to carve out one block of time this week (preferably 30-60 mins, but anything is better than nothing) to “side quest.” Begin by digging into some research on anything you’re currently curious about, even if the topic seems wholly unrelated to your current project. Then simply click on/watch/read about the next thing you encounter in your research that sparks your curiosity, and so on until you hear your timer buzz. Try to distill your findings to see if you can find any connections to your current “main quest.”
P.S. If you can’t see any at the moment, they may come later (or you may have proactively gathered kindling for a future creative fire).
It acknowledge that in this busy day and age, it is hard to let our curiosity lead us down these wandering paths, but I promise you this work is not frivolous. It is filling your creative tank and creating opportunities for new insights which may never have occurred if you kept your gaze down and your nose to the grindstone.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (this week)
This is where I’m gonna be sharing assorted cool shit. It’s also a place for me to put you onto some of the coolest people I have the pleasure to know, pay it forward, and give folks their flowers. You can always scroll to this part if you’re a TL;DR type of person. I won’t judge.
Jammin’ On:
🍬 This work of incredibly culturally relevant fiction
I’m fresh off of finishing The Candy House by Jennifer Egan and would’ve recommended it long before completion, but now my mind is so blown that I’m struggling to come up with the helpful words to describe this book.
Egan is an absolute master of craft whose ability to explode standard forms of prose to marvelous effect I’ve admired since I read A Visit From the Goon Squad in high school. The Candy House furthers my awe of her craftsmanship. Aside from being one of the most experimental, boundary-breaking novelists I’ve read, Egan also manages a novel that is…no, sprawling evokes the wrong feeling…constellational.
Each point in the universe she has intricately woven in Candy House feels bright and piercing, while interconnecting to form larger pictures of light. She uses her diverse cast of characters to explore the issue of privacy in the digital age from numerous vantage points without ever making the reader feel like they’ve been smacked over the head with a simplified moral to the story. This book was thought-provoking in ways I can scarcely express, but as both a writer and a human living in the 21st century, I’m certain will stay with me for years to come.
🎮 The ideal cozy game to curl up with
I couldn’t talk about video games for most of this week’s blog without mentioning the wholesome one I’ve been loving (when I actually make time to relax with a hobby these days). I describe Potion Permit as a slightly more railroaded Stardew Valley. (Stardew is soooo open world and there are too many choices! Every time I try to start that game I get too overwhelmed!)
It’s a cute 8-bit style animation game where you play as a chemist who’s been discharged to the town of Moonbury to cure the mayor’s daughter of a mysterious ailment. After curing her, you are asked to stay to tend to sick members of town. You must gather materials to craft potions, interact with townsfolk, and perform tasks for them to increase your trust level (the people of Moonbury have some rightful trust issues regarding the scientific institution in the Capital from which you hail).
It’s a soothing vibe with simple tasks, decent villager interactions, and low-stakes combat that even I can handle. (For context, my hand-eye coordination leaves MUCH to be desired). Cozy gamers, especially those intimidated by more complex farming sim RPGs, will enjoy.
Crafting Connections
This is where I’m gonna leave you with a big ol’ question. Something to ponder, have a moment with your journal over, or to connect about with me & other creatives in the comments. To not only (hopefully) connect to one another, but to connect the dots between the seemingly unrelated, and connect to yourself in ways you may not have considered yet!
What topic do you keep putting off reading up on? What activity do you never make time for because it doesn’t seem relevant or “useful”?
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts & musings! Also feel free to share your no. 1 distraction that sidetracks you below 👇
xx
Kat