It’s a radical thought: create when you can.
Especially under the stronghold of thinking that says, create everyday.
I’m sure there are about a million memes that champion create everyday.
Create when you can? Not so much.
In theory, and in my capitalist-trained brain, creating everyday sounds good. Always be producing, my worker-brain screams at me.
But that brain lies. The screams are always lies.
Sure, routine finds its ways to other areas of my life. I eat the same breakfast every morning, for instance.
I can see the benefit of habit.
I just don’t know that habits are the best method for all people to accomplish all things.
At least for me, when it comes to creating? That shit’s on its own timeline. Driven by its own unique impulses. Requiring its own special energy. Energy I don’t always have access to, by the way.
I wish I did.
I wish I was a robot. I wish I could just pump it out anytime, any hour of the day. Bloop beep boop.
I don’t work like that.
I need rest. Like rotting-in-my-bed rest. Like doing nothing for weeks on end rest (I never get this btw, who does?) Radical rest.
And I need to be inspired. I need to read and learn new things and be with friends and listen to music and see movies and sit in the sun in my backyard.
And I need time to reflect on what I’m learning, what I’m experiencing. There’s a lot going on it the world. It’s a lot for a nervous system. There’s a lot to integrate.
This doesn’t always add up to a Substack newsletter or a painting or a zine or whatever.
And I have to let that be.
So I’m championing a new thing: slow creativity. It’s creativity when you can. 5 mins here, 10 there. A shitty drawing, a bullet list of random thoughts in your notes app. Whatever you have to give is enough.
Btw, it’s not a new thing.
And in an effort to honor this, I’m returning this newsletter back to its once-a-week schedule. I love the idea of being in your inbox daily, but until I have an assistant (any volunteers?), it won’t work for me.
Jump and pray and slow and deliberate and mindful and any offering is enough and nothing is enough too.
See you Friday for our regular schedule. I’ll come bearing a new playlist, too. Pinky promise.
