Thursday Thoughts...

“It is illuminating to note, here, how the daily rituals and working routines of prolific authors and artists – people who really do get a lot done – very rarely include techniques for ‘getting motivated’ or ‘feeling inspired’. Quite the opposite: they tend to emphasise the mechanics of the working process, focusing not on generating the right mood, but on accomplishing certain physical actions, regardless of mood.” 

Oliver Burkeman, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking

I must admit I quite liked the title of his book, so I kept it in!

It seems to me that authors and writers would most definitely relate to these words - given my understanding of how they make themselves sit and write 5000 words, or two pages, or the like each day.  The discipline that applies to the art of writing is significant.

In earlier times, when work-work was the 80 part of my 80:20 balance with art; I used to set aside Fridays to make and to do.  A work colleague said to me; but how can you do that?  What if you're not inspired on Friday? What if Tuesday is full of inspiration? What happens?

And you know, I had never thought about it.  I just knew, that on Friday I had the opportunity to make/do/create and that I would use that precious time to do so.

Sometimes it was the chance to just get in and do what I had been thinking about during the week; finishing off something I had started the week before; whilst at other times it might have been reading about art or playing with materials or testing and trialling something. 

I didn't need inspiration to be on-call on a Friday- I just needed to know that I had Friday to sit down and do something.

Some of my Letter Arts Reviews - always fabulous inspiration!!!