The Thursday! Newsletter 2-3: Things Get Screwy. Now What?
Volume 2, Issue 3
You know how it is when you have a nice schedule and you're rather proud because you've managed to keep to it and then...things happen? Like you take a week off to enjoy a little extra time with your spouse but then their schedule changes to include a lot of extra hours? Or your toilet overflows and, instead of making and eating delicious potato and ham soup with your spouse -- a thing you've been craving for more than a week but haven't been able to get to because of aforementioned work schedule changes -- you spend the time before they have to work cleaning up overspill and having a small anxiety attack? Or you figure out what's wrong with he toilet and, instead of fixing it, you break the float lever because you forgot it was plastic and not metal? Or the Seasonal Crud you've had for more than a week decides you are its new best friend? Or your come and go depressive moods decide to sink in for a few days?
Know how that is? Yeah? No? Just me?
Well, here's the thing about all that. It's darned hard to be a creative wonder when you can't get your head past the panic and rearranged plans and did I mention that Thanksgiving is coming up around these parts and we're expecting my folks over (and perhaps my sister and her teenaged kids)? You kind of need a toilet for that. And probably dry floors, too.
Let's not even talk about the Chex Mix that isn't going to get made until maybe next week, schedules depending. I was so close, though. So, so close.
And now, here I am, typing a newsletter out that I want to be full of fun and useful thoughts and all I can think about is how I need to stop by WalMart later tonight for a new floaty part for the toilet and how I also have to get up early tomorrow and run to the office on my day off so the cleaning crew can come in and do their work. I tried to write a poem last night but...it was not a poem I liked very much at all. My creativity feels very distant. I've not felt like it's been in arm's reach for almost a week.
What, then, do I do? What can you do if you ever find yourself in the same position. And make no mistake. It will happen. Contrary to popular opinion, writing isn't like being an electrician or a ditch digger. You can't just sit down and write like you can show up and dig a trench or fix a bad lighting fixture. There are some nuances to this and I might take it up in a later issue of Thursday! but let's say here and now that working at a creative profession is quite different from almost all the others. You're going to have times when the creative flow is gone and the pot from which you'd pull ideas is tightly-lidded. What do you do? Is there anything you can do?
I will be completely honest with you. I don't know how anyone else handles this. But I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to handle the stuff in front of me the best I can. Stuff gets into the schedule and knocks it askew. That's life. Happens a lot. You know how it goes. I'm going to deal with what I can deal with. But that's not all I'm going to do. I'm going to keep my eyes open for opportunities to create. I guarantee you chances will come by. They may not come about often nor may they last long, but they'll be there and I'll see them, because I'm looking. When I look, I see. When I see, I can share. Maybe we don't get a story out of it. Maybe we only get a couple lines about a beautiful sunset. That'll do, though, won't it? Isn't that okay? Isn't it okay if you write a cool paragraph when you're able to among all the other crap you're dealing with right now? Isn't it okay if you make a couple preliminary sketches of your next cool illustration or sculpture. Isn't it okay to hum a bit of melody that comes to mind into your phone while you're waiting at the drive-through?
Hell yes it's okay. It's more than okay. It's professional.
Let me say that again for the folks in the back: Creating what you can whenever and wherever you can is how professionals work. Professional writers write when they can write. Professional artist paint when they can paint or draw when they can draw. Musicians sing. That's what they do. Sometimes life screws them up but they look for the chances and take them when they come. When life unscrews itself -- and life will return to "normal", however you want to define that for yourself -- you'll have work to expand upon and ideas afresh. Believe it.
You're an artist. And so am I.
That's it. That's all. Let's do our thing, friends.
(P.S. Turns out I didn't need a new floaty part for the toilet, which is officially called a ballcock. Tee Hee. The kit I bought earlier in the day had its own floaty part, which is called...I don't know. I'm just calling it the floaty part. Welcome to my newsletter about creativity, life, and toilets, apparently.)
- - - - - - - - - - - -
What I Wrote Last Week
"Cloudsong" is a poem I wrote in my head, more or less, while driving home from work one evening.
"Peek-A-Boo Moon" is similar to "Cloudsong" in that I wrote it quickly and that the sky inspired it. Though It is different in important ways.
"The Artist to His Tender Heart" is not nearly as pretentious a poem as it appears. Quite the opposite.
"The Company of a Tree" is a story about friendship and quiet.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
One Last Thing
This is where I ask you to help me out. I can't share Thursday! nearly as well as you can so if you know someone who might like what we have here, forward this along or show them the archives.
You can also buy or share my cool book, give it a solid review, or get an autographed copy (ask and I'll tell you how!).
If you're seeing Thursday! for the first time, HI! I'm glad to meet you. If you want more, subscribe right here.
As always, you can always talk back to me by hitting the reply button! I can't promise I'll always answer back, because I'm quite forgetful, but I'll read everything you send.