[Just before we get started, I started writing this one Sunday and have just got around to sitting down to finish it on Tuesday of the following week. However, in my defence I have actually finished it off, whereas in the past I would have left it and the blog would have disappeared back into obscurity!]
Another difficult post to write, due to inactivity. The week has flown by and I have achieved nothing of note and physical. The fact that art and commerce are not easy bedfellows is sinking in. Although I am not doing 70-100-hour weeks that I might have done in the past. Or that many do to remain afloat. But still, the mental and physical effort required to carry out the work drains one’s creative energies. Consequently, this week’s post is going to be shorter than normal.
Atomic Habits
Stealing the title of one of the best all-time productivity and self-help books is how I want to try and overcome the current situation. The premise is that if one can sit down for two minutes then one can achieve something. Who sits down for two minutes to do something to then get up and say “Well that’s my two minutes!”. Yes, once your sat down half an hour can whizz by and probably more likely an hour will disappear.
With so many distractions I need to decide what I am going to focus on for that limited time. I am trying to stop my monkey brain from dancing around a whole host of hobbies and interests that I could take up and really think about what I want to create. Do I want to take pictures or things. I suppose they are both the same thing, but for these purposes, I will separate them.
I have been thinking about this loosely when I was at work. Whilst I was doing the Inktober Challenge I had a focus of the story I was creating. Maybe one doesn’t need a story as to why “you” are doing something. But I think it helps me. Certainly, there aren’t many original ideas left to bring to the world. But more, it is my view of it or my story of what I see. I had grand plans some long time ago to document my locale in a way that wasn’t just snaps. But then the internet came along, and the explosion of image-sharing sights put paid to that idea as the world was dropping photos in way more quantity and quality than I could produce.
Also, I feel that a project like that you need to focus wholly on. My nature is less suited to this. But Documenting in other ways and mediums is certainly more approachable.
So all this to say if I can sit myself down at my desk for 2 minutes then the likelihood is that I will achieve more.
I need to start on something small as well. My character naturally wants to expand everything out into a humungous plan of grandeur. Which ultimately leads me nowhere. So staying with the micro ideas and micro habits I just need to start on something small. I have the ideal project in mind. If all this pans out there will be something to show this Sunday!
What I have watched, listened to, come or across.
I slid back down the EDC rabbit hole again this week, but I started to think about what would one carry if I wanted to create something art-related. I know from people that I follow on Mastodon that there is a kind of everyday carry. Certainly for the ones that sketch every day.
I am still a little bit intrigued about making things out of leather. But I think the reality of the time taken to learn the skill and the product(s) that I could make is not the most beneficial use of my time. But who knows?
Again slightly late to the party but I have been delving into Digital Minimalism via Cal Newports YT Channel. I think I really need to manage the thing in my pocket to be able to start creating my own things not looking at or listening to others making things.
It also nudges me to think about the things around me that I really need to work out how they fit into a life where they get used.
One Picture
Wrap-up
Well after thinking that I had nothing to say I managed to ramble on for quite some time. Although there was no practical activity over the last week I am happy that I sat myself down to write about that. It is easy to write about things when it’s going swimmingly. But in the harder times, when maybe motivation is lacking or just time constraints don’t allow for one’s creative endeavours. It is important to keep that ball rolling in any way one can. I find that writing this is a creative outlet. Albeit thoughts rather than actions but the fact I know I have to sit down and write something every Sunday is the spark that helps light the creative fires.
I know I have a tonne of ideas it’s just having the time to put them into action
So until next time…