Sterling should take comfort in the fact that our best creative work is done in times of reflection and idleness. Studies have shown that the wandering mind is more likely to have a “Eureka!” moment of clarity and creativity. Taking breaks and zoning out from everyday tasks gives our brains time to do a kind of long-term, big-picture thinking that immediate engagement with bosses and clients and email and meetings does not.

I need to become better at taking mental breaks so I can regain a bit of my creativity. The addiction to the computer is tough to break and I feel being tied to it has taken away a lot of my creative muscle. We’ll see if I can go analog to bring back a bit of that spark…