What's gone on this week
The lazy days of summer are gone and things are back in full swing. I knew going into this week that it would be very busy at work. Next week will be similarly busy. Normally that would mean my creativity would take a backseat and there would be a major dip in productivity, but I managed to keep it going thanks to the change I've made in my schedule the last couple of weeks in going home at lunch to write. It's amazing the effect it's had.
I know a lot of creative people who wish they could do it full time. Finding time to squeeze it in around an already busy life is frustrating. If I wait until I get home to do it I often won't have the energy when things are especially hectic. Common sense would say to do it first thing in the morning, but I'm not a morning person. So that doesn't work for me. Doing it at lunch allows me to put it at the center of my day even when life is busy.
If you've read or listened to any self help books around manifestation or changing your life you've probably heard the phrase "align your outer life with your inner life" or something similar. It sounds simple but until I made the shift to put my writing at the center of my day I didn't really understand what that meant. I thought the changes I would have to make would be bigger and more sweeping. It's actually much more subtle. I still get to the end of a busy day and don't feel like writing, but since I've already written it doesn't bother me as much. I feel more grounded and less anxious about it.
It's also made me look at the way I spend my time differently. I find myself asking myself if I really need to do things or if I'm making assumptions that aren't true. I generally feel like I have to do everything. The caretaker role is a natural one for me to fall into. As a result I tend to do more than I need to. Putting my creativity at the center of my day has made me look at the things I do in a different light.
I want to point out that in making this shift I didn't suddenly find an extra hour in the day. I made a choice of how to spend my time. Lunch was the time I previously used for taking a walk or doing errands. I'm less active than I was and I now have to do those errands on the weekend. I didn't figure out how to do more I'm just spending my time differently.
The only constant in life is change so I imagine that my creative routine will shift again soon. But now that I know what an impact putting it at the center of my day can have I will aim for that whenever I can. When do you fit your creativity into your day and how does that influence your life?
Garden update
Not much to report this week. The rest of my cosmos have buds which is exciting and my nasturtiums have a couple of flowers as well.
What I'm loving lately
My friends and I started using a new app called Marco Polo. It's free. You use it to send video messages either one to one or to a group. My friends live within driving distance but far enough away that we're lucky to see each other more than once a month and often only four to six times a year. Phone calls are hard because of our schedules and this way we get to "talk" as a group rather than one to one in a more intimate way than emailing. It's been so nice seeing their faces on a regular basis. I love it!
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