Take a Break
As we continue to unpack and bring more boxes and items home from storage, (six months after our move to Knife River) I'm realizing my need to not only stay organized (have a specific place for every "thing") but also to create spaces that are NOT about projects or work or even creative endeavors. The hot tub (that just happened to come with the house) has become one of those spaces.
It's a place of quiet letting go — of releasing tension and manic thoughts, of allowing both mind and body a calm refuge. Without these moments of "non-doing" AND "non-thinking" about doing, our brains continue on a rapid track seemingly without brakes.
Choosing to take even a few minutes a day to meditate, go for a quiet walk, or relax in a bathtub is beneficial to our overall health. I'm gradually working to create more helpful daily routines on a consistent basis. I am dropping some habits, like the game I finally removed from my phone which gave me more ad watching time than playing time. I'm adding new habits, such as a forty-five minute meditation time each morning, some reading time, a short walk among trees or time in the water, whether it is a pool, lake or river.
My daily art time has been (as is often the case) based more on deadlines than a dedication to working each day. That is an area I need to improve.
It typically doesn't feel like a task that HAS to get done now if I'm engaged in a new project that doesn't have a deadline. Even in college, I was the last minute student who "snuck" my final paper under the prof's door at the final hour.
But, as many artists will tell you, we often don't know where to start. So many ideas and projects are "in progress". Which do we focus on for completion? And organization? What role does that play in the ability to sit down and actually work on something? In my mind, it plays a large role as one needs the space to lay out materials in the first place.
Starting with "Down Time" clears my mind so that when I approach my messes, I can more easily sort and clear the concrete spaces too.
I know it's especially difficult for anyone working full time or caring for other family members, but I hope that you can all try to make room for at least a few minutes of "down time" each day.
