blackUnicorn.org

I am doing Holidailies this year. Some of you may remember that I tried to do it last year, and managed exactly one entry before I crapped out. Well, this year I’m actually on the portal, so I’m going make a more concerted effort. Not only that, but I’m still going to try to do it with pictures and meaningful content.

So!

Today I’m going to talk about creativity. I have a creative job, and I have a lot of creative hobbies, as well as an ambition towards a completely other creative job than the one I have. I thought for a long time that creativity was sort of a fixed commodity - I had a certain amount that I could allocate between all of my various creative outlets, and when I ran out, I was just out. I almost gave up knitting because of this, but the compulsion turned out to be too great.

I’m starting to rethink this, however. I did an experiment a number of years ago where I forced myself to crank out a painting in a week whether I felt like painting or not, and it’s still one of the most successful paintings I’ve done on the computer. I came to the conclusion then that these things can be forced.

Okay, since then I got this job at Channel 3, and became a producer/director, wherein I have to crank work out faster than I ever have in my life. Especially right now since it’s Christmas season, when everybody wants to be on TV hocking their wares. And I’m freaking exhausted. At my worst moments, all I can do is sleep when I’m not at work.

However! At my best, I feel like I want to maximize my time away from work because otherwise what am I living for? So I started a sweater- my first ever, and I committed to Holidailies, and I’m going crazy because my dip pens apparently did not move with me. This doesn’t seem to be about forcing things- I’m trying to give myself as many outlets outside work as I can so that I can choose whatever I want to do. No pressure, other that I must be doing something. That’s going to make a big difference.