Oct 17 2008
A Day Off for My Artists and Me
When I interviewed my songwriter friend, she expressed that she lives her creative life in phases—she creates and then she absorbs.
I’ve never allowed myself that. Or known how to do it. My creative drive pushed me to produce.
Now, though, her words have worked on me. Absorbing is still creating; it is just another part of the process. And an essential one.
My phases are still fast-moving and turn around over days, not months or years like hers, but at least now I can sense the need to shift. I produce for a few days and then I renew for a few.
My children have a couple days off school, and we’re absorbing together. Or I am absorbing from them while they create. KH painted a beautiful apple with watercolors. EH finished the last chapter of her book. NH played architect with Dad.
When we’re talking creative communities, I can’t think of a better one that the one that immediately surrounds me.
What phase are you in?
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Definitely in the absorbing phase for the last couple of weeks. I am finally wanting to write again. When life gets busy it is hard to be creative.
I have been writing life stories for an online site called Story of My Life and I find that I have to interview people on the phone, let it sit for a couple of days, write, let it sit and rewrite. At first, I would try to write their stories immediately but I realized that it is better if I can give it the time to swirl around in my head and let my mind digest what I heard them saying and the voice them were speaking in.
The hardest part is making sure that I am completely focused on them during the interview. Those third person stories are much easier to write than my own on my blog somehow. I get too self-conscious.