Anna Quindlen writes about how to foster creativity in children, and by extension adults, by doing nothing and allowing their minds to foster creativity during this time, free time . He expresses his thoughts in “Doing nothing is something” a short essay. Quindlen says kids are too busy and don't have enough free time. In this free time or free time they create their own adventures and form their own ideas. It presents the idea that to even begin the creative process of creating literature, music and art you need to have free time to let your mind wonder and create. Thinking about it for a moment, the thesis presented by Quindlen seems valid, but it does not allow a person to think creatively without downtime. This is not the whole truth. There is no doubt that free time can help the creative process and it is not the only way to encourage it. Hundreds of modern authors and craftsmen who have extremely structured lives and are considered some of the greatest composers and writers of all time. C.S. Lewis is an example of a great writer and philosopher whose days were extremely structured down to the times he could eat, sleep, read, write, and when he could walk the countryside. “I believe that many who find that “nothing happens” when they sit, or kneel, before a devotional book will find that the heart sings spontaneously as they are making their way through a difficult piece of theology with the pipe in hand. teeth and a pencil in hand. Lewis said in “On the Incarnation” This quote is mentioned by Lewis from his book “On the Incarnation” to reinforce the point that free time is important, but structured free time is right, effective and efficient. Doing this allows you to be more productive than… middle of paper… creativity ring, but he is wrong to say that it is essential and that you must have missed it. Lewis treasured his free time, but it was structured and limited, so he remained productive. Mozart and Yo-Yo-Ma also did not have the luxury of much free time, although both are musical geniuses who without their talent the world of musical expression would have changed forever. Free time must be valued but it is a part of life that must be balanced, creativity, part time for free thoughts, experience and knowledge. Works Cited Lweis, CS ? CS Lewis, On the Incarnation. www.goodreads.com. Np, 2013.Web. October 9, 2013.Quindlen, Anna. Doing nothing is something. From investigation to academic writing. Ed. Stephen A. Scipione. Second edition ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012. 82-84. Press. vol. 1 of From investigation to academic writing. 1 vol.