Visually Stunned

Last night I've came across a saying from an artist I never knew. Samuel Mockbee, what struck me was what he said
"The Professional challenge is how to avoid becoming so stunned by the power of modern technology and economic affluence that I lose focus on the fact that people and place matter."

His statement struck me in a few ways, one I feel visually stunned, and another I my eye hurt after using the computer for too long.
 One more reason is that I was hoping to use the monitor to paint from, one the colors would be better that a printed photo, but for me it has an odd way of feeling lifeless.  Many talented digital artist don't seem to be effected by this, for me the feel of brush in hand, the feel of canvas is tangible. 

Continuing on, I paint better from life that from any printed or digital image.  This isn't new, my teachers have always said painting from life is better. It has just taken this stubborn guy to realize what they mean.
Also I apply their saying to becoming visually stunned.

As a future teacher I want to open the mind to a world that is being visually stunned. Anyone who watches a Fast action movie will tell you it was fast, it was full of action and it was visually entertaining. Watch more and more, keep on watching, soon you'll find things aren't so fast, it;s a remake, or a copy-cat, it's been done before.

At this point you've become overly stimulated, visually stunned. The saying to much of one thing can be bad. I love T.V. series, Bones, Castle, but these aren't enough I carve more. I go to Hulu to watch other series and still I wanted more, I am unfilled. So I surf the web for fun things to read and enjoy! Give me more, more I say.

STOP!!! Bah, gah, ugh! Gee whiz what am I doing, take a step back. This is my problem I've become a slave to a tool, and a device. Man this is horrible, what to do, what to do, do I stop it all together or do I cut myself off partly, self regulate myself, control the amount I watch. This isn't the first time I thought of doing this, but this is the first time I've thought it is killing my ability and drive to create art work. It is so much easier to watch a show that it is to pick up a brush and start painting.
Now is that fact that I'm become overly stimulated the reason I don't want to paint from the monitor. Is my mind sick of looking at the monitor that I can't paint form it.
So what do I need to do, how much of entertaining one self too much? This will be hard, but I what to see what the result is. A masterpiece? Haha!

Shaun Williams response:
?
I read your comments
This melds with my feelings of the computer being an 'all in one' device. I recently had a friend ask me about online dating. he asked me if I thought it was evil or not. I came to the conclusion that it challenges the pattern God has for his children to relate to each other in person. Computers are invisible airplanes, invisible cars...they take us places quickly. But who after the travel doesn't want to get out of the car or plane and "BE" where they have been taken. Computers fall short in this way
in the end they become a false experience. Even the pages of a book can be much more valuable than the computer screen
This is why there was such a push in the ipad. A "Smaller" less intrusive device into life, yet serving it's purpose as a tool and entertainment device. Mobility is a huge thing to be valued.
Mark, I may have you consider what benefits a separate device to "watch" would be to you. If you could surf and paint from you television when you were younger...would you have actually watched anything on it? or would you have used it for different purposes?
I'm of the feeling that visual media for entertainment needs to be separate from teh computer. That is why I have a T.V. next to my computer. I can effectively turn off the computer and still have my visual entertainment that is without distractions. Also, I can turn off my T.V. and eliminate a portion of my visual input.
to me it is all about input and what is vying for that attention from me. Too much is Too much...just like you said
you could almost say....have a computer for entertainment, and then one for work right. Two identical computers. Which one would you spend time on the most?
And that is the computer you need to put in the closet for a while.
:D
now, since you have only one computer with "Multiple personalities" how do you separate them?
You might make two users on the computer and use them as you intend them
one for work. one for entertainment
switch users when you need to go to the other stuff
This may not work at all. I'm not sure
But in any case. there is a lot to be said about the light, the space, and the atmosphere.
fresh air, company, and feeling a part of something bigger. and not by being part of the internet
We are pioneers to a new tool and a new society that it has created. We must survive it's influence and we must mould it's influence upon us, direct it's power for our good. I know myself that it can enslave us. All things have within them potential in our hands to serve a greater purpose. with discipline and with purpose ourselves, we can remain their masters
you feel that you are the master of your canvas and brush right?
they serve you well. and they satisfy you.
prospered or poisoned? how do you feel about your computer?
another possibility is moving to a laptop. Giving you mobility. This however might become another problem if you see computers as a poison because the computer will then be able to go everywhere you do
another thing about computers is that it is impossible to keep up with how fast they move, with how much the contain, with how much they demand.....demand if we are desirous to keep up.
Find what is valuable....that you believe the Lord is pleased with that a computer can do for you. After all, He has blessed you with one right?
He expects that we use it correctly and for our benefit. Getting rid of it may work. Ask Him first though.
Vast generations lived without computers. What has it given mankind?
information.relationships in some cases connections. As a tool we have the power of Photoshop