Boredom breeds creativity?

[Lore]

It's 7 a.m. and I haven't slept all night. I haven't slept since yesterday. It happens to me sometimes (often recently).

I taught myself how to recite the alphabet backwards to burn up some time.

I also taught myself how to juggle a few years back. I juggled like a juggling demon clown for one full day. Unfortunately when I woke up the next morning, I'd forgotten how. I think that's my next task for tonight/this morning. (It would be awesome fun to juggle spatula's behind the bar at work.)

One night, not too long ago, I attempted to teach myself how to turn on my computer telekinetically whilst laying in my bed. I have not yet learned this skill.

Also, when I was in Italy, I taught myself how to roll a coin over my fingers. Granted, the Euro is much larger and heavier than a quarter so it made it much easier to learn. I can still manage a roll, but only vaguely.

Oh, hey . . . maybe I should work on more comics . . .

What weird things have you taught yourself to do in the past when you were incredibly bored?


**Addition: I also taught myself to draw after many years of boredom.

[MalkavianMarine]

Wiggle my ears and flex my pecs

[Erika]

I wonder if wiggling ears is something anyone can learn to do, or if it's like rolling your tongue, and you have to have the gene to do it...

[Amazing Mr. K]

I'd practice my bass, but that makes too much noise. Also, I'm fairly sure I can't go a night without sleeping.

[tesseractive]

I'm trying to level up my drawing skills. Amy puts me to shame all the time...

I usually get on wikipedia and learn about cryptography or cults or the occult or good late night internet things.

I was also trying to learn Hawai'ian at one point but that was a long time ago. More likely to be Klingon now, or Welsh.

[Erika]

I'm not even remotely productive or creative late at night. I dink around on forums or google random things. Watch a lot of bad television.

[Lore]

Apr 1, 2009 22:39:56 GMT -5 tesseractive said:

I usually get on wikipedia and learn about cryptography or cults or the occult or good late night internet things.

Aw, I totally love wasting my time on cryptography. I gotta a buncha old books on it.

[nefariousdro]

I taught myself Tuvan Throat-singing while driving to/from work last year.

[mayhemeffect]

I show up here. I play in photoshop. I start writing breif cabaret stage shows. I look at marketing plans and see if they can be improved.

Onec I taught myself how to forget all of those nasty things I don't want to remember. Not sure if I know how to do that anymore.

[nefariousdro]

I took up another weird hobby a few years ago while vacationing in northern Ontario: rock sculptures. I try to balance a large rock (or even several of them in a column) in the most impossible-seeming fashion I can. It's weirdly relaxing.

[Tyris]

May 10, 2009 1:32:56 GMT -5 mayhemeffect said:

Onec I taught myself how to forget all of those nasty things I don't want to remember. Not sure if I know how to do that anymore.

You forgot how, eh?

How ironic.

[Ilayas]

I make up ridiculously complex and epic stories that god willing will never see the light of day.

[nefariousdro]

If I let my mind wander like that late at night I'll not get back to sleep... I learned a meditation technique that helps me go back to sleep, instead.

[Masoob]

I have a bad habit of being overly imaginative, I generally don't fall asleep for hours because I am thinking of completely random things; the same thing happens in english class. On the up side when I'm bored I could probably waste hours zoning out and daydreaming. Things i do when I am bored are-
a) juggle
b)spin drumstick through fingers
c)spin volleyball on finger/roll it between hands over shoulders
d)try to astral project myself

though i can't say why i'd be bored, its not like I don't have enough homework.

[Mr. Hobbs]

I stroke my bead (that's what they're for, right?), drink R.C. cola, and surf the net (wikipedia and tv troups are a Godsend).