I’ve never considered that I might have an addictive nature. I don’t do drugs. I drink in moderation and even my sweet tooth can be tamed. But the hardest Jones I am finding to kick, since the damn thing was developed, is the need to check 24 hour news. I’m a current affairs junky and it’s got a hold. I’m hooked like a fish on a line. The worst of it is is that it demands my head, my attention and my emotion completely, well almost, subduing any creative energy that might be lurking below the surface.
And it’s really teeing me off. Because it all seems so negative. Its either Trump or Brexit – both of which to my mind, are an absolute disaster. Which, if we follow the news all day, leaves me feeling depressed and pretty shit about it all.
The dilemma is how to be positive to create positive energy with which to create. I’m trying to reconcile myself to the fact that the utopia I dreamed of in my hippy youth was nothing but just that, a dream. John Lennon said that we could call him a dreamer. Me too. But our progress is hampered somewhat if all we do is look at the sky.
You see, I don’t want to ignore what is going on but it sure is a diversion from personal development. So how do you manage the balance?
I’m thinking that headlines only every 12 hours is enough then immediately move to something completely different. Perhaps skip the news for a whole day and see if the sun still sets and rises.
I have to do something – there are so many other things I want to do. With the new year underway I have some ideas to try;
1 News at 8 and then nothing all day.
2 Read at least one poem at lunchtime.
3 Set attainable creative goals for the month but don’t beat myself up if they’re not achieved so long as I tried. You can’t force the muse, right?
4 Listen to music that inspires me and create a playlist of this music.
5 Exercise.
6 Write, paint, play.
7 Check a TED lecture once a week.
What do you do? What’s on your playlist ?
singlemaltmonkey 
I avoid TV news, as it is full of bullshit, and they seem to leave Trump alone, when they darn well know, the man is not fit to be president. I pick and choose what I read online, and the music I listen to, is from the local station, that is located one block away.
Thanks Don, politics here is so transparent they’re all shysters who can’t be arsed to even hide it. At least you can get rid of Trump in 3 years. We’re stuck with the Tories for some time yet. Your local station on your doorstep sounds great. I wish we had one here. Commercial radio in the UK is just that – commercials ! Jazz radio is getting lots of my attention though. 🙂 Stay well.
The radio stations, are not as good as they use to be. Lot of automated stations, boring announcers, and for jazz, well thank goodness for the internet.