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xakaraI know what you're thinking. Aside from Thursdays, I seem to always start my journal entries at the last minute to get them in for the day, kissing midnight on a regular basis. You're right, but, hey, I'm nocturnal, that's just how I roll.
Besides, the wait isn't bad, which brings me to today's topic. Waiting. Some of my best ideas come when I'm left to wait.
Besides, the wait isn't bad, which brings me to today's topic. Waiting. Some of my best ideas come when I'm left to wait.
I'm that person that you drive passed at 3 am, who is standing at a red light with not a stitch of traffic in sight, dutifully waiting for it to turn green before crossing the street. (If you always wondered what I was doing out at 3 am in the first place, let me say, I might ask the same of you). I don't jaywalk unecessarily, I don't huff while waiting in line at the store, and in fact will tell a cashier or person ahead of me to take their time if they apologize for how long it's taking. I'm just generally not in a rush. I figure if I was in a hurry, I should have left earlier and it's not anyone else's fault if I didn't.
This Zen of waiting by default makes Laundry my favorite household activity. Where others revile it, I'm at my most relaxed with a mound of laundry to go through. It only reaches a mound instead of being done more often because I live in an apartment building and the laundry room is on the exact other side of the building down three flights of stairs and are coin operated. If I had one in our apartment I'd likely do laundry every other day quite happily.
Why you ask? Or gasp, or gap in disbelief, depending on how you feel about laundry.
Because some of my best ideas come to mind when I'm doing laundry. Between laundry and other chores I'm guaranteed to come up with something new, be it a turn in a current story, a fix to an issue I'm having, or something brand new. I came back from today's cleaning and errand running extravaganza with not one, nor two, but three story ideas and, wait for it, an entirely new series of short stories, and wait again, a new novel series as well.You can't beat that with a stick. If I could type as fast as things came to me, *headshake*, I'm getting quicker, we'll see what comes of it.
There's something about being able to people watch, to overhear conversation, to be caught in music from an mp3 player creating a soundtrack to the world moving by, or to be simply in your head during the repetitive motion of folding launding and putting clothes in the washing machine, that brings out the calm of creativity in me.
The shower is another zen-place where there's a clearing of thought and rush of creativity. It's most definitely so when I take one after working out, because the time on the glider is its own creative space. Again, music and repetitive motion freeing the mind and allowing for a tumble of images and possibilities that might seem less reasonable in any other state of mind.
So what I'm getting to in all of this is that the next time your frustrated and huffing and sighing because you're stuck in traffic, waiting in line at the grocery store, or tackling your laundry, stop. Maybe the time you're taking to be upset and further drain your energy, could instead become a chance to to recharge whatever your creative outlet and become more of yourself.
So take a deep breath, let your mind go, and see what comes. After all, what could it hurt?
Ramble Done
~X
This Zen of waiting by default makes Laundry my favorite household activity. Where others revile it, I'm at my most relaxed with a mound of laundry to go through. It only reaches a mound instead of being done more often because I live in an apartment building and the laundry room is on the exact other side of the building down three flights of stairs and are coin operated. If I had one in our apartment I'd likely do laundry every other day quite happily.
Why you ask? Or gasp, or gap in disbelief, depending on how you feel about laundry.
Because some of my best ideas come to mind when I'm doing laundry. Between laundry and other chores I'm guaranteed to come up with something new, be it a turn in a current story, a fix to an issue I'm having, or something brand new. I came back from today's cleaning and errand running extravaganza with not one, nor two, but three story ideas and, wait for it, an entirely new series of short stories, and wait again, a new novel series as well.You can't beat that with a stick. If I could type as fast as things came to me, *headshake*, I'm getting quicker, we'll see what comes of it.
There's something about being able to people watch, to overhear conversation, to be caught in music from an mp3 player creating a soundtrack to the world moving by, or to be simply in your head during the repetitive motion of folding launding and putting clothes in the washing machine, that brings out the calm of creativity in me.
The shower is another zen-place where there's a clearing of thought and rush of creativity. It's most definitely so when I take one after working out, because the time on the glider is its own creative space. Again, music and repetitive motion freeing the mind and allowing for a tumble of images and possibilities that might seem less reasonable in any other state of mind.
So what I'm getting to in all of this is that the next time your frustrated and huffing and sighing because you're stuck in traffic, waiting in line at the grocery store, or tackling your laundry, stop. Maybe the time you're taking to be upset and further drain your energy, could instead become a chance to to recharge whatever your creative outlet and become more of yourself.
So take a deep breath, let your mind go, and see what comes. After all, what could it hurt?
Ramble Done
~X
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-29 12:09 pm (UTC)Seriously, though, that's AWESOME...amazing how you can get inspiration though the most rote of tasks!!
(ps--tried to get the OpenID to work, but it didn't like me. hahahaha)
Sophie
http://www.sophieathens.com
http://sophieathens.authorsabode.com
no subject
Date: 2007-08-29 10:06 pm (UTC)But thank you for leaving the addresses for people. LJers are a curious lot and now they can get to know you. :)
On doing your laundry, let me tell you, if I could guarantee that none of the houses I would be going to had psychos hiding inside, I would definitely open a business dropping in and doing people's laundry for them. As far as I'm concerned it would be a matter of getting paid to think and brainstorm.
When I knew we were going to need extra income so I'd need something part-time, one of the things I looked for was laundry services in the hotels downtown because it sounded perfect. If we had any hospitals closer, I'd sign up. I know how much laundry they go through in a day (had a surgical scrub nurse in the family growing up), and it would be a day that went by fast and during downtimes I could take notes on all the ideas that came to mind.
There's someone in Cleaning Services, just dying to meet me. LOL
~Xakara
no subject
Date: 2007-08-29 01:42 pm (UTC)Just step step step, breath, open to whatever voices decide to talk with me.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-29 09:54 pm (UTC)And I can image how walking the dog inparticular does it for creativity. Sometimes while just out doing errands I look at my side of town like I've never seen it before and wonder what's happening in one building or why another seems lonely. To have a furry friend on a lease whose also exploring....we'd never get home on time. lol :)
~X
Zen moments
Date: 2007-08-30 03:58 am (UTC)The shower is a highlight of my day. Something about the water just lets new ideas form and washes away any blocks I have. I honestly take a 30 to 45 min shower and most of the time is spent thinking and dreaming.
I'm not a rusher either. Almost as if I'm worried if I rush I'll miss something. No reason to get upset at traffic or long lines. I became aware of this flying home Monday. Everyone is so impatient. I actually get to the airport 2 hours ahead of time (as suggested) and then have nothing to worry about. If I get through the line quickly I get to read at the gate.
Re: Zen moments
Date: 2007-08-30 04:08 am (UTC)Impatience steals as much time as you're trying to impatiently make hurry. The key to multitasking is being open enough to take advantage of those brief moments throughout the day that you get to yourself so you can be your best when a task needs to be fulfilled. Rushing and grumbling just makes you miserable and saps your energy. It's a waste.
I'm glad to see someone else who can taek the zen moments out there to be had. :)
~X