Finally, the end – today’s sixth and final installment takes a closer look at the last block on my daily reminders list. Unlike with the way the reminders from the previous five sections were arranged on my list, today's reminders start with a header (bold and italicized) followed by several supporting thoughts (italicized). To follow the pattern set so far in these 'daily resolution' reviews, I've broken up my comments to address each line in this final section.
An artist must make time for the long periods of solitude
This is a good reminder to have around anytime I've felt the creative possibilities of solitude have been lost in the downward pull of loneliness. There are days when making time for creative work feels like an endlessly pointless task. The will to do the same thing the next day sometimes comes down to simply acknowledging that the first step to creating anything is making time for the necessary solitude.
Be a good steward to your gifts
Sheryl Sandberg wrote in Lean In about a problem she called Tiara Syndrome - the problem of sitting around and waiting for someone to acknowledge your accomplishments rather than becoming your own best advocate. If this is a problem in the modern workplace (where people are paid to notice when other people do well) then it must be an epidemic in the creative world.
This reminder ensures I notice when I undersell myself or my abilities and prompts me to consider how I might do things differently the next time.
Protect your time
One thing I noticed at my most recent job was how regularly people scheduled themselves into each other's calendars. It wasn't a huge problem, it just reflected the company culture of assuming that you could use other people's time better than them.
Email is designed to work in a similar way. Again, not a huge problem, but email is how other people add themselves into my to-do list without consideration of how I might have envisioned the optimal use of my time, effort, and attention.
Of course, these aren't perfect examples because my reminder deals with creative work while workplace calendars and email are different beasts. My examples essentially can survive the destructive effect of interruption while this isn't always the case with creative work. When creating, an artist must understand what brings out his or her gift, set aside the time for the gift to express itself, and fight like mad to protect that allocated time.
Feed your inner life
What does 'inner life' mean? For me, it invokes an image of a seed sending its roots into the surrounding dirt - the dirt is what everyone sees today while the roots drive the ways I want to change that for tomorrow.
The surface reveals nothing even if what lies underneath is a thirst for anything that brings out the full potential. Like the way we water a plant, give it sunlight, and ensure it space to grow, we must look for those little moments when our inner life makes itself heard and give it the same kind of nourishment, attention, and space.
Avoid too much noise
I read once (I think it was from John O'Donohue) that the soul is like a wild animal - though it's always just out of sight, we know it will emerge when it's ready. Noise to the soul is the same as it is for the wild animal - suddenly, what my have reluctantly emerged scurries further out of sight, perhaps never to be seen again. When a soul goes into hiding, it takes with it our longing to express our creative gifts and connect to the eternal that beckons in all.
Read good books
Many compare the creative act to finding new ways to combine old ideas. For me, the best way to collect old ideas is by reading books, one after the other, and finding ways to revisit these systematically to bolster my retentive skills.
Have good sentences in your ears
I originally thought of this line as an external reminder about having certain messages directed toward me. Over time, my filters have improved and it's less important now to hear the right words. I've started to realize lately that the sentences that stay in my ears are rarely echoes but rather commentary, driven from within, and knowing how to parse my own narrative to identify negative self talk and shut myself up as needed is far more useful than relying on everyone around me to say the right things.
Be by yourself as often as you can
This has nothing to do with solitude. Rather, it's a reminder about influences and how it's often easier to get caught up in the rhythm or flow of others at the cost of our individuality. We can be by ourselves even when surrounded by others if we remain loyal to ourselves and willing to express our individuality. It's great practice for creative work because when we come to the crossroads and must choose between what others want to hear and what we have to say, we know what to do because we've done it before and we'll do it again.
Walk
I used to think I walked. I'd go from here and there in the city, moving at a good rate, and always with headphones plugged in. I always walked with something in mind - a destination, a method, a purpose. If I forgot my headphones or had accidentally allowed my iPod to run out of battery, I looked through my phone and tried to find someone to call.
This went on for quite some time until, one day, I started walking.
Now, I keep my eyes active, my ears open, and my head up. I haven't had headphones with me in over three years. I usually keep my phone on silent mode. I do usually walk with a destination in mind but I try to leave myself enough time for stopping, wandering, and contemplation.
In short, I learned that the difference between walking and walking is the way it feeds the creative mind. After thirty-one years, I suppose it's about time I started walking.
Take the phone off the hook
I suppose the idea of a phone 'off the hook' defines quaint these days but the spirit of the idea has more relevance than ever. The phone - regardless of its form - defines the interrupted mind. What worthwhile thing was ever created in sporadic ten second bursts?
Work regular hours
It does mean nine to five, I think, but it also speaks to anything we cannot accomplish without our focused effort. If writing well means working in the morning, working regular hours mean writing in the morning. There is in any task a natural rhythm that we can leverage to bring out the best of our ability - working against this grain will only lead to a labored, substandard, and inauthentic result.
A possum Jackson Pollock is painted on the tar
Creativity is not just a question of how we create in the world but also how we interpret what is already in the world around us. There is art in all things but only through glasses tinted with the creative glaze can we ever...
...what?
...fine.
OK, so that's not from my 'daily reminders', that's from Courtney Barnett's 'Dead Fox'. But hey, this was starting to feel like a bit of a riff off, and who better to end one?
Thanks for reading, all.
