Creating really IS hard work.
My favorite part of my convo with Mari was towards the end where she talked about her own creative process and how so many times she’s wanted to give up AND even (at times!) has given up.
I feel that.
Sometimes I want to throw in the towel on the podcast, to be honest. Creating episodes while also having a blog, vlogs for Patreon supporters along with a family, a full-time job, owning a home with a lawn that needs to be mowed, chores that need to be done … it’s a lot. And the problem is that I only have a small window of time to work on these things.
I record episodes on my lunch breaks at work (since I’m still working at home).
I read the books that my guests wrote in small bits when I can.
I write these newsletters on shorter 15-minute breaks.
I work on blog posts in the mornings or in the evenings.
I record my Patreon vlog posts on 15-minute breaks.
And the problem is that although I have a fairly rigorous schedule set in order to get those things done, I can’t always guarantee that when I sit down to do those things in the time I’ve set aside for them that the creative juices will be flowing.
So many times I’ll have on my calendar “write blog post Thursday morning” but then when Thursday morning comes there isn’t enough coffee in the world to wake up the Creative Glenn that is still sleeping in my brain. Like Mari said, creativity comes and goes and you can’t really just summon it to stand at attention whenever you see fit.
That’s hard. And it’s frustrating because creativity is like another full-time job, really, that doesn’t do much to pay the bills.
And yet it gives me joy. And so I keep going and keep doing it if for nothing else to let the release valve lift in my heart so that my own joy can spring forth into the world.
How about you?
What do you like to create?
Do you create?
How often do you create?
If time and money were not a concern, what would you create?
Go create something this weekend, even if it’s something small. A journal entry, that’s creative. So is writing a letter, making a card for someone, doing work in your garden, detailing your car, playing with your child or grandchild - creativity can be done everywhere and anywhere, so go release the valve this weekend, the world needs whatever creativity you have to offer.
✌️
Glenn
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