Creatives portray ‘creative distraction’ in their own creative ways
Creatives, perhaps more than most, are prone to distraction. Luckily, they’re better than most at finding innovative ways to depict their shortcomings, as a recent project by PPL PRS found.
One in seven (14%) creatives are distracted for up to two hours a day, losing 10 hours a week – and nearly 22 days a year – to distraction, according to a new survey from music licensing company PPL PRS.
Following the research, three creatives working in the industry have illustrated what distractions look like to them, from thought bubbles to their own hands.
For almost a third (31%) of creatives, overhearing background chatting is the biggest distractor, followed by talking to colleagues (28%) and being interrupted (28%).
What does distraction look like for creative professionals?
Head of creative, Steve Monk-Chipman:
"When I think, I rest my chin on my hand and strain into the distance like trying to squeeze a thought up from the bottom of my head. I strum my cheek. I flick my nose. I pull my lip. I look at my hand, I start picking, and suddenly I’m somewhere between focus and distraction. They’re unconscious movements, but If I stop moving, my brain will stop working.
“My hands are my language of thought and distraction, so when asked to visualise what distracts me the most, I’ve created a graphic that feels like a British Sign Language interpreter is trying to translate what might be going on in my mind.”
Senior designer, Immy Keys:
“For me, It’s the little distractions that add up. It can feel like a backlog of things I need to clear through before my brain can settle into a task. A message notification pinging, an absent-minded doodle, a question popping into my head that I need to google before I forget it.
“I wanted to show this in a chaotic but comforting way. Sometimes, I let my mind wander, and the doodle mouse helps me come up with a new idea or taking a moment to pop on the kettle for the 6th time that day makes me look at something with fresh eyes. But other times, I need to tune out the mental clutter and get into the creative flow.”
Creative, Amelia Horner:
“I often feel like I have a million different thoughts drifting around in my head, and even though I try to stay focused, sometimes one of these thought bubbles floats to the forefront, and before I realise it, I've already popped it.
“I think bubbles aptly represent the fleeting nature of my thoughts and how often they have little substance (for example, how I should definitely get another coffee). Sometimes they show up connected in groups, varying in size, or on their own.”
Music as a tool for productivity
The survey found some possible solutions to distraction. Over four-fifths (86%) of professional creatives use music to help them focus, especially on admin (43%), emailing (39%), and planning and research tasks (35%).
When choosing the right playlist to play to boost productivity in the workplace, consider one with these top-ranked genres: Chill Out (18%), Pop (17%), R&B (11%) and Classical (8%).
Why do we get distracted at work?
Leadership coach for PPL PRS, Deborah Green, explains how the creative industries can harness the power of distractions: “Using music in the workplace can be a great way to improve focus and productivity, but it requires some thoughtful implementation so that the music doesn't become a distraction.
“Distraction isn’t always a bad thing. Distractions indicate that at any given moment, you're becoming overwhelmed with your thoughts. If you've got other things that are surrounding you, you can then focus on one of those to either give you inspiration or to calm your mind down.
“I think sometimes creatives have the ability to think differently, to disrupt their thinking. So, having distractions around them can disrupt their thoughts and enable them to think more three- or four-dimensionally. Their ability to look around and be inspired by what's around them can then prompt a memory, words or even a melody.”
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