When it rains, it pours
Sometimes life gets in the way, and our creativity takes a dive. I've been struggling with that lately. Can you relate?
It’s been a while.
I’m sorry to be out of touch for so long, folks. How’s everybody doing out there? Honestly, things have been challenging in my world these last two weeks. No sooner did I write a post about the most relaxing weekend in recent memory than a handful of disruptions completely upended my tranquil little dreamworld.
But that’s how it happens, right?
Chaos seems to be the natural order of things, and we need to be grateful when we get those moments of reprieve and relaxation. I shouldn’t take the calm times for granted because when things go off the rails, as they have in our domestic lives of late, it feels like a roller coaster you want to get off. I need to remember that.
I’ve been feeling guilty because I want to send you something at least weekly. But more than that, I’ve been feeling highly distracted and out-of-sorts by the little fires we’ve been putting out here on the homefront. That has had me reflecting on the creative life. These dispatches are a way of flexing my imaginative muscles and working my mind. Writing this newsletter is a practice that pays dividends, and I can tell I’m undernourished. My body may be strong, but my mind is out of shape. I know the only way to get back into the rhythm is to get back on the horse.
This isn’t the first time I’ve struggled with creative block. I wrote about feeling uninspired last summer, and many of you offered kind words of encouragement and inspiration. The past two weeks have felt different because it’s not a shortage of inspiration holding me back but a lack of energy to put pen to paper (or, in my case, fingers to keyboard). We all need to work through these moments from time to time, and the obvious answer is to have some equanimity about the interruptions.
Anyway, I’ll stop singing this sad song because regret is a waste of time. But I wanted to explain my absence. It’s a new day and time to get back to work! If you have advice on weathering these personal storms and steering the way back to your creative self, I would love to hear it. Thanks in advance for sharing your insights with me.
One more thing…
Many of you know that I’m a huge Edward Hopper fan. If you’ve seen my pictures, that’s probably not a surprise. The other night, we watched HOPPER: An American Love Story on PBS, and I highly recommend it. American Masters always does such great work, and this is no exception. Hopper was a supremely talented artist and, as is often the case, a challenging personal figure. This was a new window into his world, and I appreciated it. I know many of you admire these paintings as I do. Check this out when you have some time — You can stream it on PBS.
Okay, that’s all for now. More soon!
It’s January, Andy. The hour of hibernation and emptiness. Things will turn. Meanwhile, breathe into the season.
Don’t fight the struggle I say. It’s a little season of glum. Instead of focusing on writing why not do some things that are fun or distracting or uplifting in some way?