Bursts.
These last few weeks have been full, and for me, that's been both good and challenging.
As Josh finishes up his final semester of undergrad (hurrah!), it means that he's also been swamped with lots of projects, homework, and tests. We see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there's still a bit to walk through first.
All those extra things for him equals lots of time alone (well, with Luke too!) for me. And even though I pass Josh by during the day, I often miss him. Is that weird to miss someone that you still see everyday?
But, sometimes I also find that all the extra time alone produces little bursts of creativity. Maybe it's that my mind is my companion, so I need to entertain it. So, this past weekend I pumped out work on my ebook, painted, created designs, and just explored new skills.
Of course, these bursts have downsides--like a messy house, feeling undone after the burst has sizzled, and often, wondering what in the world I just did with all that extra time.
Today, I sit here and feel the creative energies fading a bit and realize that it's okay. Even though the aftermath of spending extra time on dreaming and creating is being behind on lots of normal life things, I'm thankful for these bursts of creative energy.
They remind me that creativity is a well, a gift, that God gives me. These little bursts remind me that God created me with specific gifts, skills, and ideas, and that they are good.
But you know what? I forget this a lot. At the end of this past weekend, Josh and I headed to bed early because we had both gotten way too little sleep. I sat there with Josh (thankful that he wasn't pulling another all-nighter) and felt life's heaviness seep back down. I suddenly questioned every dream that I had dreamed and wondered if it was good. I wondered if anyone would care about my little ebook, which is the product of many of my creative energies and time. Suddenly, Debbie Downer arrived, and I felt tired of everything. I felt tired of being needed constantly. I felt the overwhelming reality that life's daily tasks are always a bit undone; that they will always be there.
But thankfully, new days arrive and the next morning brought fresh perspective. Even though I know that I can't sustain these creative bursts for long, it doesn't mean that creativity can't be found and enjoyed in the everyday-- in the simple and even the boring things.
How do you balance creating and dreaming with the daily things? Have any of you figured out how to make laundry a creative task? ;)
As Josh finishes up his final semester of undergrad (hurrah!), it means that he's also been swamped with lots of projects, homework, and tests. We see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there's still a bit to walk through first.
All those extra things for him equals lots of time alone (well, with Luke too!) for me. And even though I pass Josh by during the day, I often miss him. Is that weird to miss someone that you still see everyday?
But, sometimes I also find that all the extra time alone produces little bursts of creativity. Maybe it's that my mind is my companion, so I need to entertain it. So, this past weekend I pumped out work on my ebook, painted, created designs, and just explored new skills.
Of course, these bursts have downsides--like a messy house, feeling undone after the burst has sizzled, and often, wondering what in the world I just did with all that extra time.
Today, I sit here and feel the creative energies fading a bit and realize that it's okay. Even though the aftermath of spending extra time on dreaming and creating is being behind on lots of normal life things, I'm thankful for these bursts of creative energy.
They remind me that creativity is a well, a gift, that God gives me. These little bursts remind me that God created me with specific gifts, skills, and ideas, and that they are good.
But you know what? I forget this a lot. At the end of this past weekend, Josh and I headed to bed early because we had both gotten way too little sleep. I sat there with Josh (thankful that he wasn't pulling another all-nighter) and felt life's heaviness seep back down. I suddenly questioned every dream that I had dreamed and wondered if it was good. I wondered if anyone would care about my little ebook, which is the product of many of my creative energies and time. Suddenly, Debbie Downer arrived, and I felt tired of everything. I felt tired of being needed constantly. I felt the overwhelming reality that life's daily tasks are always a bit undone; that they will always be there.
But thankfully, new days arrive and the next morning brought fresh perspective. Even though I know that I can't sustain these creative bursts for long, it doesn't mean that creativity can't be found and enjoyed in the everyday-- in the simple and even the boring things.
How do you balance creating and dreaming with the daily things? Have any of you figured out how to make laundry a creative task? ;)
thanks for the reminder that creativity is a gift! and it struck me while reading your post that gifts need to be cultivated and protected. i've been finding that out about myself - i can't just NOT be creative for days, then expect to make something great when i do have the time and energy. even if it's just sitting down and writing for ten minutes a day, it keeps me sharp and happy. :)
ReplyDeleteLaundry can become a creative task when your little one can pull it out of the washer and dryer! :) AND leaving it in the basket to be folded for a while is no problem, it becomes suddenly more interesting than all the toys in their possession. :)
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