Today is all about balance
I would love to say that this week things have felt less rushed, but if anything I think I may feel a bit more stretched than ever. I am still quite busy with work-related things and I’ve compounded that by not managing to take as much time as I’d like for ‘me’ activities like exercise and creative pursuits. As a result, somewhat inevitably, I’ve been unwell (with a 2 day migraine and a neck injury) which has left me feeling tired and frustrated. But I also know the signs well enough to know that I need to take note and be careful.
And so it seems fitting that as today is the vernal equinox my post is about balance. Today is a special day for me and noticing it, marking it, is important. Today winter ends and spring begins. The day and night are balanced in this moment. And from here, for the next 3 months, the days begin to edge out over the night time and light returns to our lives. For someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder the shift from dark to light has a massive effect. I’m not sure if that’s purely psychological – it definitely helps to know, as a fact, that the days are getting longer – but I know I feel different mentally and physically this week.
Rushing not reflecting
I am often in a rush. There are lots of things to do (right now!) and I’m always thinking ‘what’s next?’ It feels like I have a tightly wound spring in my chest which keeps me moving in haste. Sometimes I even catch myself not breathing. I am fairly certain that this low-level anxiety is a contributing factor to me finding it hard to stop, even for a moment or two. Looking after myself, stopping to refresh or to reflect, is frequently the lowest priority activity on my list.
I’m a big advocate for regularly taking time to reflect on how things are going, especially in your creative practice. It can be helpful to pause and not jump straight into the next thing. If we take the time to reflect after each big event or body of work, it’s so much easier to navigate a path forward, one that is responsive to our needs and in line with our values.
The importance of WHY to your practice
This time of year isn’t just good for making resolutions and setting goals; it’s a really good opportunity to reflect on what’s been happening and what lies ahead. At the start of the year I encourage everyone I know to do a bit of a Creative Practice MOT and see where they’re at with the creative side of their work. There are lots of people out there offering you fantastic advice to kickstart your business in 2018 but, I suspect, fewer people asking you why you do what you do, and what it’s all about. I’d like you to challenge yourself a bit. It’s so easy for makers and other creatives who produce tangible things like objects to focus on the HOW of their work, but in this post I’d like to talk about the importance of WHY to your practice.
Don’t forget the big picture!
I have a feeling that this week is a bit frantic for everyone no matter what your creative practice. Whether you have orders to fill or deadlines to meet, this last working week before Christmas, with all the associated activity of the holidays, can be exhausting.
Mindful of how little time you all have to read blog posts right now, I just wanted to touch on the importance of not losing the big picture. With so much to do it’s easy to get blinkered, to become dead focused on what needs doing, that we forget why we are doing these things. And in this momentary forgetting we can lose our energy and motivation.
The ‘no plan’ plan and why it might be the best way to achieve your creative goals
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner. I have always got a million lists on the go, I am always thinking ‘what’s next?’ and daydreaming about things that are yet to happen. On a micro scale I have a tendency to fret over tiny details and have even been known to plan out my day to the nearest quarter of an hour. I love sitting down and planning my week, my month or even the next three months…
But, I am not a planner on a macro scale. I have never had ‘a plan’ about what I’m doing or where I’m going beyond the next year. I have always just followed my nose into interesting situations and my passions into new adventures.