Embracing novelty.
- DanielleEastman
- May 3
- 6 min read
Photo thanks to Cat McCombs
Hello, beautiful soul!
Thank you so much for a lovely beginning into our exploration of both novelty & familiarity last week. We'll continue onward this week by specifically zooming in on sensing, embracing, and cultivating novelty.
Ok, so.... I may need more novelty than I thought. :)
You know how last week I said I was the queen of routine? I'm quickly realizing that I do actually crave (and find ways to get) more novelty than I previously thought!
Uuuuuunfortunately, they aren't always my best habits.
For example, when we were on our trip, I hardly used my phone except as a camera or as a GPS. I only scrolled social media and the news one time. Once! In 11 days! Otherwise, my mind was plenty busy, engaged, and entertained by the adventure all around me.Â
Now. Fast forward to when we get back home. Boom. I'm on my phone again... a lot. Social media. News updates. Listening to podcasts. Asking AI questions. It was quickly a noticeable difference from the week before.Â
I was listening to a Modern Wisdom podcast episode recently that was discussing addiction to smart phones.Three things stuck out for me: 1) That we're on our phones an average of 4-6 hours per day. 🤯 2) That apps are designed after slot machines to keep us coming back for more. And 3) a key driver that keeps us hooked? The element of surprise. The novelty. The fact that we have no idea what is going to pop up next.
I mean, WOW. I hadn't thought of it that way before. But now I've been paying attention, I can definitely tell that no matter why I pick up my phone to begin with, a huge part of why I stay on it (for longer than I'd like) is indeed the endless stream of novelty/surprise. I may initially pick it up to respond to a friend via Messenger, or to post something about Aya, or to check in on what friends have posted, only to then find myself scrolling away for much longer than I intended.
Each swipe a gamble - the pull of the slot machine handle.Â
🎰 A sweet post from a friend.
🎰 A clothing ad.
🎰 Beautiful photos from a friend's vacation.
🎰 A headline about politics.
🎰 A photo of a butterfly from my sister's garden.
🎰 A local event coming up.
🎰 A news article.
🎰 A lovely post from a friend.
🎰 An advertisement for something menopause-related.
🎰 Celebrity gossip click-bait.
🎰 A row of reels----ooh, that one looks interesting. Click.
20 minutes later, and I'm still watching reel after reel. This time: West Coast Swing dancers improvising with randomly selected partners whom they've never danced with before. Wait. What? How did I get here? What time is it? Why am I still watching? I need to put this phone down. Oh wait --ok-- just one more. I wonder what song they'll get. I wonder how it will go. Wow. That was amazing. Ok, just one more. Boom! Surprise! Novelty! Oh man, I can get hooked sooooo easily!
And here I've been thinking I don't really need novelty that much. 😂 Turns out, I've just been feeding It to myself in ways I was completely unaware of. Scrolling my feed. Checking the news. Asking AI new questions. One more chapter. One more podcast episode. What will they say this time? What will I learn? What will happen next? How will the story end? Ok, just one more ____ (episode, hour, chapter...).
Thoughts, friend? Do you ever find yourself doing this too?In that podcast episode above, Catherine Price talks about helping clients "break up with their phones." I don't know about you, but I definitely want to be on my phone less than I am. When we were on vacation, it was probably easy for me to not pick up my phone because I was experiencing so much novelty and stimulation in other ways. I'd therefore really like to find more fun, adventurous, healthy, & movement-promoting (non-phone) ways to feed my need for novelty in my day-to-day life.
And that, my friend, brings us to this week's focus.
The big question: What happens if we sense for, embrace, and cultivate more novelty in our lives?
What do we notice? How does it go? What does it do for us?
We can explore things like:Â
• What do you sense in your body when doing something novel/new?Â
• How about mentally? How much focus or mental energy is needed?
• How about emotionally? How do you feel?
• What are the benefits of novelty?
• How much do you currently enjoy novelty?
• Does it matter if you've chosen it vs. novelty that's beyond your control?
• How much do you enjoy being surprised?
• How much of a need for novelty do you have?
• How about your loved ones?
• Do you find yourself craving novelty more or less during different seasons?
• What are ways you currently feed your need for novelty?Â
• What are ways you might like to explore feeding that need in the future?
• How might you create more novelty for yourself this week?
• Are there ever times when it is difficult to embrace novelty? Or when novelty is unpleasant?
Embracing novelty in class might look like:
Doing something new (outside of your control):
• What do you sense when a new song comes on?
• What do you sense when brand new movements are introduced?
• How does that kind of novelty feel to you? Do you find yourself excited? Nervous? Energized? Uplifted? Overwhelmed? Or perhaps it depends on the day/moment?
Doing something new (inside your control):
• How might YOU move in new ways to a really familiar song or movement? This could be during choreography (e.g., jazz square) or during a more free-form moments of class (e.g., flow). In either, how might you do whatever you are doing in a new way? Maybe the size of movement, maybe how high/low, maybe backwards, or traveling clockwise rather than counter-clockwise?Â
• What if you wear something different than usual to class? For example, you could try something flowier, sportier, baggier, tighter, longer, shorter, sexier, comfier, duller, louder, more masculine, more feminine, or heck-- just show up in jeans. :) Does it change how you move? What you sense?
• What if you arrive a little earlier/later than usual?Â
• What if you start in a new place? Or dance from a new angle on Zoom?
• Or strike up a conversation with someone new? Or share something new?
• How does that kind of novelty feel to you?Â
Sensing for something new:
• Even when dancing in a familiar way to a familiar song, if you zoom into your senses a bit more, is there anything to notice and sense that is new? Perhaps a new instrument? A new sight specific to today? A new touch of your foot on the floor? A new sensation arising in your muscles/joints?Â
Embracing novelty outside of class might look like:
Doing something new:
• Perhaps take a new route
• Wear something in a new way
• Go somewhere new
• Try a new recipe or new menu item
• Maybe even just try a new condiment
• Try a new fruit or vegetable from the shelf
• Listen to a new podcastÂ
• Start a new book by a new author
• Introduce yourself to someone new
• Start up a new conversation on a new topic
• Intentionally shake up your routine somehow
• Try a new drink, or flavor of tea
• Listen to new music -- An easy way is to search for the "Discover Weekly" playlist that Spotify curates specifically for you each week
• Style your hair differently for a day
• Maybe even just try a different color of nail polish
• Journal in a way that is new
• Try out a new form of meditation
• Go to bed at a new time
• Create something, anything at all: knit, sew, paint, design, draw, color, sculpt, weld, write, collage, scrapbook, dust off your camera.
Sensing for something new:
• Or, when doing your usual things, perhaps tune into your senses to look, listen, and feel for novelty within whatever you are experiencing.
• What new sights do you notice?
• What new sounds do you notice?
• What new textures do you notice?
• What new smells do you notice?
• What new sensations can you sense in your body in this moment, right here?
• What new thoughts arise?
Or:________? What do you think?
What other ways might you experience more novelty this week?
Whatever you try (in class or life)...
• How did it go?
• What did you notice/sense?
• How'd it feel to do something new? Vulnerable? Exciting/enlivening? _____?
• Thoughts?
• Any key takeaways from this week's exploration?
Ok. So that's a lot of questions. 😀 As always, can't wait to dive in with you and see what we discover. See you soon!
Much love,
💛 Dani
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