“Nothing” Matters!

In Jenny Odell’s “How to Do Nothing”, she highlights the importance of self preservation. In an ever technologically evolving world, it can be easy to get to get caught up in the latest online fads and trends. These days, individuals often attempt to monetize every aspect of one’s life. It seems as though now, success and productivity is measured by how much money someone makes, rather than the maintenance of mental health and happiness. On page eighteen, in response to a company statement regarding a change in work hours, Odell says “…there is nothing to be admired about being constantly connected, constantly potentially productive the second you open your eyes in the morning–and in my opinion, no one should accept this, not now not ever.” The nuanced idea of “doing nothing” does not truly mean people should not do productive, but rather to detach oneself from overstimulation, whether said overstimulation comes from social media, the news, work, or perhaps even other people. To “do nothing” is an act of grounding and granting yourself mental clarity. To refrain from over indulging in the “attention economy”, as Odell calls it, is to grant yourself more autonomy over what you choose to do with your own time and energy. Page twenty two reads, “…having recourse to periods of and spaces for ‘doing nothing’ is of utmost importance, because without them we have no way to think, reflect, heal, and sustain ourselves– individually or collectively”. 

Odell incorporates various supplementary sources that argue in some way or another, the importance of “doing nothing”. For example, she recounts the time period in which her father “went through his own period of removal” (p.10). After quitting his job, Odell’s father “read a lot, rode his bike, studied math and electronics, went fishing, had long chats with his friend and roommate, and sat in the hills where he taught himself the flute.” (p.10) After this interval of time, he returned to his previous job with a new mindset and sense of inspiration, making it possible for him to work his way up within the company. While what Odell’s father chose to do in those two years may not seem conventionally productive, it proved to be a period of self realization and growth; in reality it was quite productive because he developed as a person, and was better at his job afterwards. Upon returning to work, he was described as having a “renewed energy and a different perspective.”(p.11) In explaining her father’s newfound creativity and clarity, Odell quotes John Cleese, who says that the five required factors for creativity are “1.Space 2.Time 3.Time 4.Confidence 5.Humor”. In her father’s case, he had two years where he essentially “did nothing” in the sense that he was not working and making money, and he was able to truly foster a new sense of creativity. 

The act of “doing nothing” and the refrain from engaging in the “attention economy” is an act of resistance in this capitalistic society. On page twenty three, Odell references a quote from a book by Gabrielle Moss, “self care is poised to be wretched away from activists and turned into an excuse to buy an expensive bath oil.” Self care is most commonly considered as solely aesthetic, encouraging and convincing people to spend money on tangible items meant to make them feel better about themselves. In reality, self care spans beyond the physical plane; taking care of your mind and your emotional well being is just as equally, if not more important than maintaining your physical appearance. Disconnecting from social media, refraining from watching the news constantly, and differentiating between time for leisure and time for work are several ways to “do nothing” in order to care for yourself. Odell describes her love for going to the Rose Garden near her house in Oakland, as well as interacting with and watching birds. These simple acts are what she considers “real”, and seem almost meditational for her. 

By allowing yourself to freely think without constant stimulation, you become more aware of your surroundings. On page eight, Odell describes her gradual ability to differentiate between various bird songs. She compares this to when she realized her mom spoke three languages, as opposed to only two, which she had previously thought. “This type of embarrassing discovery, in which something you thought was one thing and is actually two things, and each of those two things is actually ten things, seems like a simple function of the duration and quality of one’s attention. With effort, we can become attuned to things, able to pick up and then hopefully differentiate finer and finer frequencies each time.”

ODELL’S HIDDEN NARRATIVE

Stuart Alexander

September 8, 2020

English 110 Writing 1

            Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing is a bold take on today’s reality which contrasts the mainstream image that technology is and should be a large focus in everyday life. Odell calls this the “attention economy” and it is clear that she is going to continue to treat this economy as something we should all strive to steer clear of. One of the first pictures of experience which Odell paints is one of waking up just to start focusing on the pain and misery of social media. At the end of these technology sessions, she describes the trance-like state we feel after we realize that these experiences are entirely unauthentic. This image as well as many others are used to help us change our lifestyles and faze out this “attention economy” 

            The problem with shifting to a lifestyle with entirely real experiences lies in the fact that technology has become such a large part of our everyday lives. Odell recognizes that it will be a transitional experience rather than an abrupt shift as she states on page 9, “Most people have, or have known someone who has gone through a period of “removal that fundamentally changed their attitude toward the world they returned to.”  This transitional period has to start somewhere and for us, the readers, it will likely be after we complete reading this book.  For Odell however, this change began when she was asked to give a speech after the 2016 election. She had been feeling down and unmotivated thus she decided to write a speech on How to do Nothing”. This experience jumpstarted Odell’s change or transition into an authentic and non-technology driven lifestyle but there would be many events over the following years that furthered this change.

            The materials that Odell chooses to use are far more relatable than scientific or historic quotes which many other authors chose to use. Odell uses examples of personal experience and events which happened in her life to both connect with the writer and communicate the importance of what she is saying. One day Odell decided to visit her local public garden, painting a picture of a beautiful place built by the effort and care of others for all to enjoy. The rose garden was a place of particular peace in which she was able to do nothing with ease. If you were to sit and attempt to do nothing it is quite difficult if not impossible. As Odell states on the very first page of the book, “Nothing is harder to do than nothing”. You must be in a mindset and environment which is peaceful and non-demanding for you to do nothing. While at peace Odell focused on smaller things which before she would have never noticed. One example of this was the birds around her and their calls. Before focusing on the birds in here surroundings she heard their communication is one call, the call of “birds.” But as she spent more time around them, they grew more distinct and it became the call of a chickadee or the call of a mourning dove. As Odell says on page 8, “I no longer strained to identify them, they register instead like speech.” While this may seem like a simple image of a person becoming aware of the nature around them it communicates a message essential to Odell’s narrative. By focusing on her surroundings, she felt more connected with the things around her. similarly, if we as the readers head Odell’s message of exiting the attention economy, out surroundings and connections around us will become clearer and more valuable. 

            This awakening causes changes that stretch beyond just the rose garden itself. Even in her own home, Odell was becoming more aware of nature and life which surrounded her. One day as an experiment Odell left several peanuts out on her balcony and while the birds did not take to them at first, after just a few days there were coming by every morning to eat with her. She began to formulate friendships with the birds and was aware of every one of their routine actions. “one started coming every day around the same time I eat breakfast, sitting exactly where I could see if from the kitchen table, and it would caw from me to come out on the balcony with a peanut.” Once again, while this seems like such a simple picture it is another essential example which Odell is using to convey the importance of her narrative. 

             If we put down our phones, we will foster real connections with real people rather than “friendships” which are built on people’s inherent desire for likes or attention. And while it may be as simple as focusing on the things around us and hearing the sounds of the birds, we will still be far more connected with the world and people around us. It will be interesting to see how Odell continues to use captivating examples from her personal life to bring about change in our own life and foster more healthy relationships.