…that in order to keep a creative edge, it’s really important to have a regular schedule devoted to your creativity. Nothing like stating the obvious, but I am surprised at how little time is given over to the creative process. I am guilty of it myself. Like this week, waiting til the last day to work on any Weekly Press images.
Creating here and there, whenever the whim hits or when you happen to get some spare time, might work on occasion to create a magnificent work of art, but it’s not likely to work all the time; not like devoting hours of each day to the creative process, regardless of whether you’re inspired or have any idea to pursue. Because even great ideas take time to fully explore their potential, and a flash of inspiration might compel you to get busy but not generate the end result you were envisioning.
These things take time. Optimally I would say 4 hours a day of uninterrupted time would be a good goal to set. It takes a half hour anyway just getting into the process, and another half hour to come out of it, evaluating what you’ve done, making plans for next session and so forth. The remaining three hours will most likey pass much faster than you’d think, and in that time, much can be accomplished.
So how do you leave that much time during the day for anything creative? I would suggest doing it before you do anything else if that is at all possible. Non-creative work does not require the uninterrupted block of time in order to get things done. Paying bills, answering phones, meetings; that sort of activity doesn’t really suffer from the lack of large blocks of time. Creativity does. This is not to say that brilliant ideas can’t come to you in the shower or on the bus. Inspiration will come. However, it is best served by devoting large blocks of time to its pursuit.
I remember in a presentation given by Oregon’s former Poet Laureate William Stafford, he acknowledged his wife for sleeping in, which allowed him his regular creative writing time in the morning. Whenever it is, morning or night, turn the phone off, don’t answer the doorbell, avoid email and the internet. Devote a respectable amount of time each day to creating something.
2 Comments
ah, yes, time the critical element. I love to create time to be creative, but how quickly I let my time whittle away – with arranging and rearranging my tools for creativity.
On Sunday we drove up to the cabin in the woods so I could dedicate myself to writing and it worked! Sometimes an escape out of the normal setting can be very inspiring and helpful. It helps that there are no telephones, no cable, no internet connection or radio. well, maybe a radio.
It works. I spent about 4-6 hours per day working on my paper. I had to use my own memory and resources to draw on – I have a solid start, which is such a relief, as the deadline is approaching.
I like your suggestion of early in the day. The mind is fresh.
Fantastic. Now if I could only do that. I find that I still do most of my creative stuff late at night, even though I’ve tried to set my schedule for early morning, and really like working when things are fresh. It’s just that I lapse back into late nights so easily.