Oh yeah, this topic is close to me all the time! I often write about the need to do nothing and my wish that our society allowed that space to everyone. When you factor in the need for not only being productive creatively, but also commercially, for those of us trying to make a living at this, it becomes quite the pressure cooker. I often picture myself walking on a balance beam, or a tightrope!
I am in a transition at the moment and learning to let go of this productivity thing. I'm tired of having to constantly 'market' myself and my work. A friend told me some time ago that I was an artist who wanted to be a hobbyist. I've thought about that a lot in the last few years. My plan is to embrace the concept behind it, let myself create when and what I want and not feel like I have to put it out there 24/7.
As for Aimee's book, I loved it. Read it several weeks ago.
I just read the book Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. It’s all about accomplishing the things that are important without burning yourself out. I highly recommend it!
Hi Andy, first, please don't fret if a you miss a week here and there. After all, YOU are under no obligation to constantly write to us when we know how busy you are! And since we are busy too, sometimes we don't even realize oops, Andy missed this week.
I noticed a pattern I've developed: I am really productive, working on a variety of things, which also include never ending tech issues. That's what drains me, real life and tech. Never my art or writing.
Sometimes I can barely move and lose a week here and there.
THIS week was engrossing. I LOVE history and current admin provides tons of hair raising history. But some weeks more than others. The big issue: will it change anything? Too soon to know.
One word: Epstein.
I had/have to talk to myself ALL the time and say: hey, it's ok, sometimes gotta take a break. But I always always have to force myself back into working on my photos. And tech issues.
I turned 75 today. I keep thinking, how many are working as hard as I? But I know if I stop, I will lose my home, so I keep at it. The great motivator. Cos as much as I love creating and working on my photos, I also know it's vital to take a break!!
A constant struggle with internal monologues. All. The. Time.
Coming in late on this discussion, Andy but most definitely! I think for me, it goes beyond productivity. Productivity - or the notion of it is just a mask for something deeper. It's about ego, it's about expectations, and it's about believing we need to keep up with an ideal self, among many other things. That can be exhausting. Thanks for the topic.
Great to see Maureen’s work here. She is a friend, a great photographer and Hudson Valley neighbor. More and more I appreciate doing things slowly, aka less productive, but at my own pace. It’s so important! Thanks for that reminder, Andy.
Often a struggle... I'm doing a one week residency in SW Wisconsin in August, and am looking forward to the space to do nothing and something for a week.
Instead of forcing myself to be productive with photography, I am creating space to enjoy life as much as I enjoy creating. This has meant more instant film for ease, to the detriment of my wallet.
Thanks for the introduction to Maureen Drennan! Not only is her work wonderful, looks like I married a distant cousin of hers with the same last name (who also comes from a family of photographers). Small world!
I feel this so hard. I really struggle to find the line between discipline and self-sabotage/ burnout with my photography. Like many people, I often have to shoot my personal work when I *can* (as opposed to when I’m inspired to) and I’ve just gotten used to making myself go out… regardless of whether I feel like it. If I’m not happy with what I’m producing, my reflex is to work harder. I also got serious about photography later in life and I feel the need to make up for lost time 🥺 It’s actually more complicated than this, but I’ve already overshared and written too much! Suffice it to say… I can relate 🤣
Ha, I've been living full-time in the Productivity Trap for the past few years. With a full-time day job, I'm never able to give creative work as much time as I'd like - and even when I do find a quiet moment, my brain is too frazzled to make anything of it. I keep trying to convince myself this is just a season of life, and that if I just don't quit altogether, it will all work out somehow.
I've been there, Parikha. It's a funny thing to need to make a choice to relax, but here we are. Jenny Odell has written about this in her book, "How To Do Nothing, " which I remembered after pushing publish yesterday. Kristen (wife) and I are reading Oliver Burkeman's "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals," which covers similar territory.
Ha. Time and Attention are two hobbyhorses of mine. And the more attention I pay to how I use my time (and my mind), the more I realize I’m not doing right by it. I’m sure you can relate. Kristen and I read Burkeman’s “Meditation for Mortals” earlier this year and loved it. That might be the best to start with since they’re short, snackable essays to be read over coffee each morning.
I’m currently on my “vacation of vacations” I try to do each summer, where I even put down my apron. I do have a small camera with me JIC the urge strikes, but generally I let go of any inclination of making images AND hosting/cooking/bartending to just hang out with a close group of friends on a lake in northern Minnesota. I try to have no agenda and off screens except for my kindle. It’s usually only 4-5 days but it’s an incredible and much needed reset.
Wrapped up “murderland” on the plane, that was intense! Read “building material” about a park ave doorman and “waiter rant” while i’ve been here. i worked in a kitchen for a spell in college and love a good service industry memoir to crack me up / relax.
I’ve definitely found myself stuck in the Creative Productivity Trap more times than I’d like to admit. For me, it usually shows up when I try to make everything I create mean something, or when I start overthinking whether something is “worth” sharing. I love photography, writing, and making videos—but when I get caught in the trap, I’ll spend more time thinking about creating than actually doing it.
One way I cope with it is by shifting the focus back to why I started in the first place: to document life, to see beauty in the ordinary, and to connect with others. I remind myself that not everything has to be polished or perfect. Some of the most meaningful work I’ve created came from just picking up my camera or hitting “record” without overthinking it.
Wow, as an introvert, your weekend agenda would be exhausting to me. I would be drained and irritable after all that traveling and peopling. Also, you mentioned the seasons and as I'm sure you know through yoga and other Chinese arts each season has certain effects on our bodies, moods and creativity as well. Spring/Summer is the season of growth and while the long day lengths can make us feel energized and creative, sometimes it can feel hard to keep up, and, if we don't pace ourselves, we "grow" too fast and crash.
As a full time artist, one of the most helpful things I do for myself is admit that it's just gonna really suck when you're in between projects, and that's inevitable. There's a lovely, effortless flow state of creation that happens when you're in the middle of a creative project, but inevitably that momentum comes to an end and that isn't easy. Being kind to myself, acknowledging the lows exist, and recognising that times of slow output are actually just as valuable to the creative process as times of high output have been the biggest help. But it's still not easy. Thanks for sharing this.
Oh yeah, this topic is close to me all the time! I often write about the need to do nothing and my wish that our society allowed that space to everyone. When you factor in the need for not only being productive creatively, but also commercially, for those of us trying to make a living at this, it becomes quite the pressure cooker. I often picture myself walking on a balance beam, or a tightrope!
I am in a transition at the moment and learning to let go of this productivity thing. I'm tired of having to constantly 'market' myself and my work. A friend told me some time ago that I was an artist who wanted to be a hobbyist. I've thought about that a lot in the last few years. My plan is to embrace the concept behind it, let myself create when and what I want and not feel like I have to put it out there 24/7.
As for Aimee's book, I loved it. Read it several weeks ago.
I also just wrote about 'success' here: https://medium.com/namaste-now/how-do-you-define-success-6b9eabb7e3b2?sk=42b75d885fcbd62d2828cbbf87b73869
I just read the book Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. It’s all about accomplishing the things that are important without burning yourself out. I highly recommend it!
Thanks, Kris!
Hi Andy, first, please don't fret if a you miss a week here and there. After all, YOU are under no obligation to constantly write to us when we know how busy you are! And since we are busy too, sometimes we don't even realize oops, Andy missed this week.
I noticed a pattern I've developed: I am really productive, working on a variety of things, which also include never ending tech issues. That's what drains me, real life and tech. Never my art or writing.
Sometimes I can barely move and lose a week here and there.
THIS week was engrossing. I LOVE history and current admin provides tons of hair raising history. But some weeks more than others. The big issue: will it change anything? Too soon to know.
One word: Epstein.
I had/have to talk to myself ALL the time and say: hey, it's ok, sometimes gotta take a break. But I always always have to force myself back into working on my photos. And tech issues.
I turned 75 today. I keep thinking, how many are working as hard as I? But I know if I stop, I will lose my home, so I keep at it. The great motivator. Cos as much as I love creating and working on my photos, I also know it's vital to take a break!!
A constant struggle with internal monologues. All. The. Time.
Coming in late on this discussion, Andy but most definitely! I think for me, it goes beyond productivity. Productivity - or the notion of it is just a mask for something deeper. It's about ego, it's about expectations, and it's about believing we need to keep up with an ideal self, among many other things. That can be exhausting. Thanks for the topic.
Great to see Maureen’s work here. She is a friend, a great photographer and Hudson Valley neighbor. More and more I appreciate doing things slowly, aka less productive, but at my own pace. It’s so important! Thanks for that reminder, Andy.
Often a struggle... I'm doing a one week residency in SW Wisconsin in August, and am looking forward to the space to do nothing and something for a week.
Very cool. Whereabouts in Wisconsin?
Instead of forcing myself to be productive with photography, I am creating space to enjoy life as much as I enjoy creating. This has meant more instant film for ease, to the detriment of my wallet.
Thanks for the introduction to Maureen Drennan! Not only is her work wonderful, looks like I married a distant cousin of hers with the same last name (who also comes from a family of photographers). Small world!
I feel this so hard. I really struggle to find the line between discipline and self-sabotage/ burnout with my photography. Like many people, I often have to shoot my personal work when I *can* (as opposed to when I’m inspired to) and I’ve just gotten used to making myself go out… regardless of whether I feel like it. If I’m not happy with what I’m producing, my reflex is to work harder. I also got serious about photography later in life and I feel the need to make up for lost time 🥺 It’s actually more complicated than this, but I’ve already overshared and written too much! Suffice it to say… I can relate 🤣
Ha, I've been living full-time in the Productivity Trap for the past few years. With a full-time day job, I'm never able to give creative work as much time as I'd like - and even when I do find a quiet moment, my brain is too frazzled to make anything of it. I keep trying to convince myself this is just a season of life, and that if I just don't quit altogether, it will all work out somehow.
I've been there, Parikha. It's a funny thing to need to make a choice to relax, but here we are. Jenny Odell has written about this in her book, "How To Do Nothing, " which I remembered after pushing publish yesterday. Kristen (wife) and I are reading Oliver Burkeman's "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals," which covers similar territory.
Thanks for the recommendations! I put Odell's book on my to-read list years ago and forgot about it - that list is its own trap. :)
Ha. Time and Attention are two hobbyhorses of mine. And the more attention I pay to how I use my time (and my mind), the more I realize I’m not doing right by it. I’m sure you can relate. Kristen and I read Burkeman’s “Meditation for Mortals” earlier this year and loved it. That might be the best to start with since they’re short, snackable essays to be read over coffee each morning.
I’m currently on my “vacation of vacations” I try to do each summer, where I even put down my apron. I do have a small camera with me JIC the urge strikes, but generally I let go of any inclination of making images AND hosting/cooking/bartending to just hang out with a close group of friends on a lake in northern Minnesota. I try to have no agenda and off screens except for my kindle. It’s usually only 4-5 days but it’s an incredible and much needed reset.
Good for you, Jim. Re: Kindle, what are you reading?
Wrapped up “murderland” on the plane, that was intense! Read “building material” about a park ave doorman and “waiter rant” while i’ve been here. i worked in a kitchen for a spell in college and love a good service industry memoir to crack me up / relax.
Another essay on photography: https://jimroche.substack.com/p/the-quiet-frame
Thanks, Jim!
You’re welcome Andy!
I’ve definitely found myself stuck in the Creative Productivity Trap more times than I’d like to admit. For me, it usually shows up when I try to make everything I create mean something, or when I start overthinking whether something is “worth” sharing. I love photography, writing, and making videos—but when I get caught in the trap, I’ll spend more time thinking about creating than actually doing it.
One way I cope with it is by shifting the focus back to why I started in the first place: to document life, to see beauty in the ordinary, and to connect with others. I remind myself that not everything has to be polished or perfect. Some of the most meaningful work I’ve created came from just picking up my camera or hitting “record” without overthinking it.
Wow, as an introvert, your weekend agenda would be exhausting to me. I would be drained and irritable after all that traveling and peopling. Also, you mentioned the seasons and as I'm sure you know through yoga and other Chinese arts each season has certain effects on our bodies, moods and creativity as well. Spring/Summer is the season of growth and while the long day lengths can make us feel energized and creative, sometimes it can feel hard to keep up, and, if we don't pace ourselves, we "grow" too fast and crash.
As a full time artist, one of the most helpful things I do for myself is admit that it's just gonna really suck when you're in between projects, and that's inevitable. There's a lovely, effortless flow state of creation that happens when you're in the middle of a creative project, but inevitably that momentum comes to an end and that isn't easy. Being kind to myself, acknowledging the lows exist, and recognising that times of slow output are actually just as valuable to the creative process as times of high output have been the biggest help. But it's still not easy. Thanks for sharing this.