Creativity Killers
So I have the flu. Actually, I’m recovering from it now, but I’ve had it for the last three days. I think I caught this one on my way home from Las Vegas on Sunday. It started as a dry cough during the day, and turned into spaciness, stuffy-headedness and the chills. No fun.
What’s more, I (along with several of the guys I traveled with last weekend) was stuck in the airport for several hours due to an Air Traffic Control delay in Las Vegas. Why? They said weather, but it didn’t look that bad to me. It brought the entire airport to a virtual standstill for the day. I think about 95% of all flights were delayed. So I got home at 3 a.m. with the flu.
The last two days, I’ve been resting as much as possible1 and have managed to turn it around pretty quickly. My temp spiked at 104 last night, but it’s down to 99 right now. I hope it stays that way.
But I’m not writing this post to whine about being sick. Rather, I realized something these last two days. Being sick is a creativity killer for me. I don’t get sick often, and I guess I’ve never realized it before. I feel completely drained of all creative inspiration. I made some good progress on the short story I am working on this weekend, but I literally have no capacity to write another word for it right now.
Of course, this kills my self-imposed rule of writing every day (I suppose this can count). But probably for a good reason. I can’t even get my thoughts straight for this blog post.
So here are my questions: What are your creativity killers? Does being sick do the same thing to you that it does to me? What other things keep you from pursuing your passions? How to you overcome them?
Here’s to fighting the good fight.
- B
Popularity: 9% [?]
- this is hard for me, ask Sarah. I can’t stand doing nothing [↩]
If you liked this post, subscribe to my RSS feed, or subscribe via Email.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Being around too many people too often. I need my down time to reflect and rejuvenate.
Finishing a project. You’d think this would invigorate me. I’m done! What can I do next?
But no. Instead, for days, I often feel lost and sapped.
Last week, I finished a project. I fought the drainage. I tried to move on. I couldn’t.
Then I spent the weekend out of town for a wedding on my husband’s side of the family. Family 24-7 for three days.
Doubly sapped.
My solution? I stayed in bed almost the entire day Monday reading. Got up right before I had to teach flute and piano lessons.
Tuesday, I was ready and writing.
Basically, let yourself be sick.
January 30th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Country music
January 31st, 2008 at 10:58 am
Russ,
Heather,
Too many people can be a drain on me as well. I love being around people, but I do better in smaller settings and I draw my strength from alone time or time spent with Sarah.
And you are right about just letting myself be sick, of course. Aside from this post, I allowed myself not to write while I recovered. I’m back on the saddle this morning and while I didn’t write for as long as usual, it was nice to be back. I didn’t lose anything while away.