Dwell Time – Real Deep Dive
A theme consistently emerges in producing great artistic results. Like any good bottle of wine – quality ingredients are blended, bottled, then time pretty much does the rest. It turns out it’s not just allowing time, but it’s about creating dwell-time, (a term which you’ll notice popping up frequently) which indicates a deliberately created and managed pause before acting on or reacting to matters which do not immediately require an urgent response.
Deliberately taking a breath or allowing a passage of time before making important decisions repeatedly shows benefits, especially with tricky or highly emotive situations or predicaments.
It’s about time
Many performers operate similarly – especially when reflecting on their very best work. Conversely, artists, performers, poets, writers (and even academics) have admitted to producing their least most pleasing work when rushed, or when missing out on that critical opportunity to ponder source material. Many artistic efforts rushed or undertaken within stressful or anxious environments, or when financial considerations are the dominant motivator for the output, have been blamed for stifling creativity and act as obstacles to igniting an artist’s natural talent.
First, it creates a sort of luxury or confidence in knowing we are working through things, to a process which in turn reduces pressure and stress and avoids ‘knee-jerk’ responses. Second, it allows for more information to flow, which could be materially important to the options or new options before us. Third, our Sub becomes more closely ‘tuned’ to the overall situation, helping us gauge perspective on the core matter to which (in most loosely documented cases) allows this ‘mystique’ of discovery to unfold. Fourth, it is becoming more formally and scientifically theorised and documented as being a real thing. For example, the ‘Law of Reversed Effort’ basically says that a high level of urgency and effort is counterproductive. The English author and philosopher Aldous Huxley states, ‘the harder we try with our conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed’.
Pace, consideration, and dwell-time further offers opportunity to reduce mistakes associated with reacting hastily or forming opinions too quickly. Some decisions we might regret after later finding better options presenting themselves. Allowing dwell-time though does carry a caution; we must not disguise behaviour of procrastination or laziness as the same. Deeper motivational or problem-solving issues could be at play if outcomes repeatedly show little or no advantage with a slowing down or paced approach.
Often when consciously attempting to force things along, results end up further away. Not only does cramming for exams significantly limit any dwell-time opportunity but is also often attempted at the worst possible time – when we are stressed and totally exhausted!
Dwell-time within this ‘corridor’ often pays dividends. Patience here also allows more pertinent factors to come together, which could lead to a more meaningful and cohesive set of considerable options. Of course, for those Type A personalities (who just want to get on with things) any period of inaction may prove disconcerting, yet the stronger or more frequent the pokes (or the more significant the goings on at the immediate time) the more important it is to pause, and let go of any dismissive tactics, and trust the process. Solution options later presenting from the processing of pokes may also come when we least expect them. Solutions may start simply as a brief flicker of an idea or could be a classic lightning-bolt of clarity. And don’t be surprised if feeling embarrassed at the simplicity of solutions or feeling like they were right in front of you the whole time! While independently they may not immediately or completely resolve the key issues, generally an undeniable triggering of truth begins to unravel. With a measured and paced approach our Sub comes into its own and can help tackle some of our most important issues and goals which would not necessarily ever be considered without our total conscious focus and emersion.