Here's a piece I (significantly) forgot to mention when I posted the writer work-day recommendation from the Creative Capital seminar.
Part of the 60% of our time we're advised to spend on productive work should be UNCONVENTIONALLY PRODUCTIVE.
That means that taking a walk to clear my head counts.
In a comment to my previous post, "Billie" described ending her work day with a bath in which a MISSING PIECE for the revision of her book popped up in her mind. Obviously, that counted. But this time need not be immediately productive to be crucial.
The RULE OF THUMB advised for unconventional productiveness (whether it produces immediately or not) is 20% of total productive time. For an 8-hour day, that works out to be roughly AN HOUR. I think that's right; feel free to check my math.
I didn't always know about the value of this kind of time. Years ago, I did a lot of work for ad agencies. I remember times I worked in agencys' offices and saw a copywriter sitting at her desk flipping through magazines, and another making paper airplanes and sailing them out a window.
Pretty brassy, I thought, to be loafing like that with the door open. Then I saw how much faster and easier it is to come up with an ad concept and headline with a variety of visual stimulation coming from a lot of different unrelated directions.
So take a walk or a bath for an hour, or more precisely for 57.6 minutes, if I've figured correctly.
And another thing--thanks for visiting here. I feel your presence and I'm glad you're here. Please won't you leave a comment about your own experience. It would help a lot of other people (not to mention keeping the wonderfully-wise-and-frequent-commenter Billie and me company)
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8 comments:
Yes, I'm here and have been checking in often and getting alot from your posts and conversations. But I'm not really in the same boat since I have two little ones and a day job. I'm lucky if I can squeeze in some writing time early mornings, in the evenings, and weekends. I like the idea of a bath or walk being productive! Also, since your post about being more productive reclined, I've abandoned the desk and have opted more for the bed or couch. Not sure if I'm more productive, but I am comfortable!
Thanks, Julia
Julia, I think a lot of people are in the doing-art-with-kids-and-a-day-job boat. Maybe most artists. So I'm glad you spoke up. All thoughts you have on how to manage this tricky balance are valuable here. And congratulations on doing it.
Julia, you are in the same boat!! :) I have two children at home (8 and 11) and we homeschool, so they are here all day long with me, all 3 of us with our own work to accomplish.
I have a very part-time job as well, but one that takes a fair amount of mental energy, so I feel I'm juggling constantly - and comments/commiseration/helpful hints are desperately needed.
I used to write in my office away from home several evenings a week and one weekend afternoon... and am now trying valiantly to do the early morning/late evening/stolen time on weekend thing. Some days it goes well, others, well, it doesn't go at all.
But whichever way it goes, Peggy's forum here for all of us is helping me quite a bit, which is why I comment so much! I would LOVE to read more folks' ideas on creativity and how to fit it successfully into the chaos of daily living.
Home school?! Wow! My hat is off.
Do you find that the kids doing their "homework" inspires you to do yours?
Also, Julia, I don't write fiction all day. I consider the time I spend critiquing other people's manuscripts and writing corporate pieces, etc. "productive time." That's essentially my "day job," which I like. I sure don't mean to give the impression that I'm working on a novel forty or so hours a week. For one thing, I'd get a little spooky from lack of contact with the rest of the world.
Having a blog keeps me motivated - I feel obligated to post daily, since I set up that expectation/goal. It also keep me thinking poetically: looking for material to share, revising my own work to go up. I can't imagine homeschooling Billie - sometimes the 19 third graders I teach at school are easier than my two at home. :) I admire you for juggling it all! And yes Peggy, contact with the world is essential. Sounds like you have a good balance.
Julia
Basically what we have here in our house are four artists trying to live together...:)
My husband would love to move to New Mexico and open a gallery to showcase his landscape photography, but his day job pays the bills, so...
I agreed to stay home with our children when they were born since my day job was more easily downsized. I didn't write at all from the time I was pregnant with my firstborn until my secondborn was 3 years old! So much of my writing mania results from those years of accumulation.
My son is an engineer/artist-type who builds things. Used to be blocks, then Lego, more recently he is doing bigger scale metalwork stuff and right now bowmaking.
My daughter is an artist who draws and paints many hours of the day. (she also has THREE books in progress...:)
The funny part: I am the sort of person who really loves having the house in order. It helps me focus on the writing to have clear surfaces and no clutter. But the other three are ... shall we say, much different. I went into Kenzie's art studio the other day and was appalled at the mess, even though she was happily painting right in the middle of it all. But I said something about her needing to clean it up. "But MOM," she said, "this is how artists LIVE!!"
Ha! There are moments when we all get into our work of the day and you can feel the hum. But mostly it's one or two in the zone at any given time.
I am lucky in our hs'ing venture b/c both my children are very avid learners and very self-directed. The hard part is managing the household stuff and all the clutter that comes with the territory.
What I'm finding is that now that I'm writing at home, I get more "sessions" but shorter ones. I used to get several longer blocks at my office. I really like the idea of writing every day... but it is definitely still a work in progress, getting comfortable with the shorter sessions, the interruptions, and learning to set aside all the things around here that call out for my time.
Nice picture of your house humming with people "in the zone." I think that one person in that state supports the other, makes the soil feel more fertile.
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