For years I had radio 4 chuntering away while I painted. Then I started doing digital artwork and I found that I listened less and less. Recently I have worked through the day mostly in silence. I’d realised that when listening to talk programmes while working on the computer, I didn’t really listen. I’d miss important parts and want to hear them again. So recently I’ve listened to podcasts or bbc iplayer so I can replay parts if needed.

This morning I’ve been painting again and I noticed that I was listening to radio the way I used to.

Listening is a hard skill to learn. I wonder if computers in schools are making it harder for children to learn the skill.