Read time: ~ 2 min. of your LIFE

[Issue #20240314]

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Yes, I missed you last week.

Reader, truth be told, I'm in something of a "slump."

I hate to admit it, but I am.

One thing I haven't quite conquered in my creative journey is the aftermath of a big project.

All I wanna do is chill.

And maybe I should.

But I hate to say I "deserve" to chill because I tend to overdo it.

And that's what's happening.

Sometimes, you get so engrossed in the work that it takes a lot out of you.

It's about time I get back on the horse, but this is still the hardest part for me.

Creativity has taught me that sometimes you have to drop everything you're doing to focus on the task at hand.

But now?

My schedule is all thrown off.

Consistency—as much as I admire and shoot for it—is not my friend.

So, I'm in a slump.​

And rightfully so.

This is fulfilling work.

This is meaningful work.

This kind of work is worth it, and it will leave its mark.

We can only get better at minimizing our recovery time, but recovery is still needed.

And when, I look back on my life, every creative feat I've had required that I focus on that ONE thing.

I still struggle with this because I'm always trying to do many things.

Or rather, a few BIG things comprised of many steps.

But it's the focus and prioritization of one thing that'll bring about the best results.

I've never been able to do two things at once.

Not really.

I never make progress that way.

Progress for me looks like:

"Oh shit, this commission is due next week!" followed by a lot of 4-hour late-night composing sessions.

We need focus.

It'll propel us exponentially forward.

Why?

1. You actually get the thing done (in a reasonable amount of time as well).
2. You can focus on the quality of the work (which is crucial to making you stand out).
3. You can accurately assess your progress because you gave it your all (you can't gauge your growth based on lackluster effort).

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There's no "Creative Corner" or creativity tips today.

All I want for you is to consider that:

• You may need a break
• Your break may be too long (the longer you take, the harder it is to bounce back)
• Maybe you aren't progressing because you are trying to do too many things at once (and thus hindering the potential/quality of the art)

And if you're struggling to focus on one thing at a time, here are some tips that have helped me:

1. "Balance" is not an equal amount of time to everything, but an appropriate amount of time.
2. You aren't focusing on one thing at the expense of the other things you want to do, but in service of them.
3. You can do it all, just not all at once.

Keep your head up, Reader.

You got this, Imaginator.

And please know that I'm always rooting for you.

TRUE SELF-CARE STARTS HERE.

P.S. I guess the great news is that the premiere of my piece, "The Spectacle", is happening tomorrow! Though since it'll be in Japan, they're damn near a day ahead, right? So I guess the premiere is actually happening sometime later this evening! Or something like that...

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