Comments on: Does using social media interfere with creativity?

By: peter

peter — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 12:20:29 +0000

It’s not true! I’m writing the great American novel right now! And I’ll go back to writing it just after I finish leaving this comment, then sent out a tweet, then check my facebook page, then stumble on Stumbleupon…

By: Dr. Leviticus Strickland

Dr. Leviticus Strickland — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:08:48 +0000

since all thought and ideas are influenced by outside sources, one can’t simply ignore social media as an artist or thinker of any king. that said, it’s probably worthwhile to weigh and evaluate what outside influences you are bombarded with all the time and make some serious choices about which to eliminate and which to focus on. This is the one thing I see online all the time is people sort of caught in cultural loops, and rarely stepping back to see the larger picture. If anything all this recent talk about “if social media is good” has suggested we take hours, days, or whatever as time away from that stuff to recalibrate ourselves. Seems like a good idea. Doesn’t hurt to unplug the modem and leave the iPhone off for a day and go walk around your neighborhood without headphones on.

By: Ellis Vener

Ellis Vener — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:14:59 +0000

What a terrific use of a fine photo-illustration to immediately get the point across about this article. I just wish the author or editor of the article had credited the photographer directly under it with a name and a link to his or her site.

By: Reason141

Reason141 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:35:19 +0000

Very well written. Finally a neutral viewpoint backed up with facts and not an article calling someone a douche. I follow a lot of what John does online. The fans love it. When he was recording Battle Studies he would post a youtube video showing the progress. An inside look into an artists creative thinking. Tumblr shows his sense of humor and interests. Now that he is recording Born and Raised, he has disconnected and the fans miss that. There is a huge difference between an inside look to an artists mind and an inside look in to an artists bedroom. He just needs to learn that self promotion is good for a career and to keep fans, but spitting our every thought you have online instead of funneling and filtering it into the creative process is bad.

By: ptaylor98

ptaylor98 — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:45:33 +0000

Terry—I think you hit the nail on the head. “Abuse” not “use” in the problem. Anything can be a distraction to creativity. But social communication is an asset to artists.

By: Tanner

Tanner — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:18:15 +0000

With most things in life: moderation is key. If you can’t control your moderation, then get help. Does it really need to be any more complicated than that?

By: William X

William X — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:11:49 +0000

Social Media cuts both ways. It enhances one’s creativity due to the exposure of others opinions. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a loss of productivity for some. Not everyone has the discipline to use social media in it’s own measure.

By: Carly

Carly — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:40:58 +0000

I love John Mayer, and I can see where he’s coming from…but honestly I think there is a way to find a balance between the two. Social media is time consuming and does require dedication, but it by no means demands your entire life. It’s a shame he blames social media for his lack of productive creativity

By: Mathew Ingram

Mathew Ingram — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:02:53 +0000

Thanks, Brian — warning received :-)

By: Mathew Ingram

Mathew Ingram — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:01:06 +0000

Thanks for making it, Alessandro, and for allowing us to use it — it is a great pic!