I often wondered why some days, weeks, even months I am totally driven to make quilts, stitch, paint or even try out new recipes – but there are other times when it’s all I can do to even read a book. I’m not talking physical energy here, but rather creative energy. There are even times when I’m physically spent, but I keep on sewing or stitching because the creative urge and energy is so present.
I believe that we can exhaust our creative energy just like we run out of physical energy. This realization finally dawned on me after one period of time when I really wanted to be in my sewing room doing something creative, but all efforts were futile even though I had plenty of physical energy. Why couldn’t I get into one of the many projects I wanted to work on?
What I’ve discovered about myself is that when my full-time job (as VP product marketing for a $100+ million line of business within a multi-billion dollar technology company) has me doing lots of creative work (rather than spending a lot of time in meetings or putting out fires), I have less creative energy at the end of the day – even though I’m raring to go physically. It seems that there is a limit to creative energy just like there is a limit to physical energy.
For me, I guess the best of all possible worlds is when I am creative at work -- but still have creative energy at the end of the day for fun projects.
3 comments:
Wow; that is so true! I think for me the mystery is when to apply "discipline" to make myself get on it and do creative work even if I'm not quite "feeling it" OR "discipline" to make myself stop and rest when physically exhausted even though I Don't Want To Stop.
Balance. When to follow your whim; I guess it's just a part of listening to yourself. But on the other hand, I heard a great quote: "Don't believe everything you think." Gotta be balance--now, is that available for purchase in bulk? :P
I have to agree with you on this one. I find that all kinds of energy (creative, mental, emotional, physical etc.) have their strong times and their off periods. As well, each needs time to recharge. There are times where all I want to do is stitch or write, then times where the idea of either one just seems like its too much.
So when those off times show up, I try to accept them as the time needed to recharge my creative energy. No matter how long I've been in a stitching slump (or have writer's block) the energy and need always comes back.
I love the picture and the phrase on it. It is really cute and so very true!
This blog is very attractive!
Hi, from Italy...
Loredana
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