This has been a timely moment to read Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad by Austin Kleon. As an NHS clinician trying to maintain my creative practice alongside COVID-19 and continuing to work has been difficult. That said this book has acted as a timely reminder that being creative makes me happy and of the need to take it one day at a time. Despite my limited time I have become more focused than ever as I try to make whatever time I have count creatively. I have increasingly used post-its as and when ideas appear so as not to lose them and to get them out of my head and in print. I have become more organised and disciplined to create a daily routine. I have ringfenced the first part of every day to do something creative even if its only for a few moments, to seize early morning before it becomes cluttered and affected. I make more useful lists now in order of completion to bring an increased sense of calm when I do not have the time to complete whole tasks on my to do list, so I always have a starting and restarting point. I liked the quote…Finish each day and be done with it, of increasingly learning, letting go and moving on…that ultimately nothing is wasted, and tomorrow is another day filled with opportunities and possibilities. Just keep working and something will turn up instilled such hope and optimism for improved creativity (Harvey Pekar).
In paying attention to what I pay attention to… my experiencing is all the richer…I am more in tune with who I am. I am more apt to play to be creative as there is plenty of space left for me and what I have to say creatively.
WeavePrint 