(I like this picture because it makes me think of a tired robot.)
I wish I could say that writing energizes me. I usually feel drained after working on my current project. Especially if I’m just starting out. When I’m at the start of a project—when anything can happen—I’m usually very happy to distract myself and keep the writing at a distance. Oh, there’s dishes to be washed! My room is messy! Do I have to go to the store to buy a lightbulb? What a great idea!
I’m happy to distract myself because getting things going in a new project can be very hard. This doesn’t mean just creative projects, like writing. It can be any project: an essay, a painting, a presentation. Doing anything can be exhausting, even something you love. Maybe especially something you love.
I try to remind myself that creating something is like breathing. Breathing doesn’t go in just one direction.
(Try only inhaling. I said don’t exhale!)
Breathing has to go both directions to work. You don’t just sit down and MAKE A THING. You sit down and stare at the empty page. That’s breathing out. It makes you think you’re losing something, like something won’t come back. It can be upsetting and scary.
Then you get up and do something else (get a snack, write a text, read an article) and suddenly ideas pop into your head. Things flow when we don’t try to make them flow. This is breathing in. We can’t force ourselves to breathe, but we can figure out what makes it feel natural. We can find and rely on the flow. And it’s usually when we don’t think about it that it works best. The same goes for creativity. When we HAVE TO WORK we will struggle. When we take a break, the ideas flow. That’s the time to step back to the project. So, does writing energize or exhaust me?
Yes… both.
Exercise: Write for only 5 minutes, and then take a break. Set a timer—stolen from the kitchen maybe?—and stop after only five minutes. Then wait 15 minutes before writing again. Are you more productive after the break? Less? Try extending the writing time, shortening the resting time. We all need to breathe. What’s the length of a breath in? What’s the length of a breath out?