Doing Well: The Wellbeing Science Insights Podcast · Life Management Science Labs

Mark A. Hawkins, Ph.D.: From Boredom to Brilliance – How to Harness Creative Energy | Doing Well #75

·53 min·3 clips

Mark says if you leave boredom unfilled, the mind "rush[es] to fill it up with ideas."

Lu Mo begins by framing boredom as something both personally interesting and timely. She introduces the episode’s central idea with a new year search for creative outlets. Mark A. Hawkins, PhD joins to unpack how boredom shows up in everyday life. The discussion starts with the basic urge to escape discomfort. It then moves into the habit of reaching for distraction before a thought can fully land. Hawkins treats that impulse as deeply human rather than a personal failure. He explains that boredom can nudge people toward creativity. Lu Mo builds on that point by describing how staying with discomfort can sometimes lead to better ideas. The conversation keeps circling back to the link between creative work and well-being. Hawkins suggests that creativity is a major part of feeling well. He also points to the value of low-engagement activities. Those quieter moments matter because constant stimulation can make ordinary life feel flat. Lu Mo offers a familiar example of browsing books when she feels bored. That example helps ground the idea in everyday behavior. Hawkins responds by noting how much media is always available now. With so many choices, the mind can still feel as if nothing is there. The episode uses that contradiction to show how overstimulation can dull appetite for real engagement. It also suggests that boredom may give the mind room to move in a more original direction. The tone stays patient and approachable throughout. Rather than rushing to a slogan, the conversation lets the idea unfold. The result is a gentle argument for sitting with boredom long enough to notice what it can produce. It ends with a practical sense that creativity often begins where distraction stops.

As heard by us

A calm case for letting boredom support creativity.

Mark A. Hawkins treats boredom as a useful pressure point rather than a void to escape, and the episode stays with that idea without dressing it up.

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Why you'd press play

Turn boredom into a quieter route to creative energy and well-being.

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