Sunday, April 05, 2009

making time to write -


HI J,
your experience about finding it hard to write once you DO have the time makes me smile in recognition. ;-)

I have found that if I have FINALLY and with much effort and frustration got myself "just right" or "just so !" and now I have the time to do what I've been wanting to do, FINALLLLLLLLY then guess what ?

For me: usually: nothing happens. No flow.

When I'm in the midst of things and busy as hell and fighting for things on the behalf of others, teaching, students, friends, etc... then as a balance to all that physical outpouring, suddenly the creative writing stuff works as well.

I've had time to do things, and not used it. Now tend to think: oh well I have to do things that are seemingly not related to my direct aim and then suddenly it springs on me, and I have to jump when the inspiration hits me.
Not ideal but it works - sort of :-) - for me.

I used to try and wait for time write a book.
then I realized the time would never come and if it did I'd not be able to seize it.
I remembered: Tolkien wrote the Lord of the Rings while a busy University Professor, albeit probably with good support.

these days I simply put out little missives on blogs such as this:

speculations about being alive, musing and thoughts on the Universe
http://xylantheum.blogspot.com/
and on academia on:
http://haikoteaching.blogspot.com/
and on: travelling
http://heikorudolph.blogspot.com/
and stories:
http://tengra.wordpress.com/
I write when it hits me and I can squeeze out the time.

I figure that the reason it flows when I'm busy doing other things is: I'm dipping the scales of the see-saw deeply to the right, so to balance the energies themselves will push on the left.
The thing I need to watch for it to seize the creative energies when they come, and harness them to useful things such as writing and creativity.

The danger is getting too busy and having no time to do creative stuff.

A fine balance...

Seems there are not clear standard rules, just whatever works for you.
I'm still experimenting.....
'dance me to the children who are asking to be born....'
- Leonard Cohen







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