Do the fun thing “just because”
Let’s hear it for creativity without goals!
As we’re heading into the holiday season, I’m sending fortitude to all of you who are really feeling it in this crunch time - we got this! 💪
Perhaps you read the last 2 editions of Creative Joy Beams on my practice of Spacious Creative Time and how to have more of it, but you filed it away for later, because feeling spacious didn’t feel attainable right now?
Or you need more of a pep talk on justifying creative time of any length?
Here’s your permission slip!
During a super busy performance season when my music-making tends to be very goal-oriented, it feels like there’s no space for fun, unstructured creativity, even when I’ve really been craving it.
It’s like when people come to visit, and I spend more time in San Francisco (only about 10 miles away from my house in Berkeley) during their visit than I usually do in a typical month or year.
Even though I love the city, it’s just inconvenient enough to get there that, in the routine of daily life, I almost never make time for SF adventures.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but it’s kind of a symbol of a larger pattern.
I have a tendency to save nice things “for a special occasion”, which usually means they either go bad (if perishable), get forgotten about indefinitely, or feel like they’re just not allowed. <sad trombone>
Put more simply, it can feel like I’m not allowed to indulge in something pleasurable “just because”.
This can extend to not making time for fun things because they’re “not productive”, and thus not as important as Important Work™, a very ingrained message from toxic productivity culture.
I also grew up hearing a lot of disparaging words about wasting time, for example, while doing something pretty innocuous like watching a movie on a Saturday morning.
Sometimes our creative practices can seem to fall under this “unproductive” category - because they’re fun or pleasurable (I know, not 100% of the time) they don’t seem as worthwhile as more concrete activities that allow us to declare something as “done” or lead very directly to income.
As I know you know, creative work is typically not very linear, and so we have to be process-oriented, not only goal-oriented.
That can be a tough sell when we’re steeped in all of those societal messages about output and productivity, while everything seems urgent!
For me this sometimes looks like not wanting to just spend time freely improvising at the piano “for fun”, in favor of practicing for a gig or trying to hone a certain skill that I “should be” better at.
(Also, my “shoulds” often come from imagined external voices that aren’t even real, but that’s another topic for another day…)
Following your curiosity and intuition, even when it doesn’t logically make sense, can be the thing that leads you to your most favorite creations!
Intellectually, I know this to be true, but in practice, it’s not always easy to do. So, let’s start small.
I dare (invite) you to spend 15 minutes (or more if you can) doing non-goal oriented creativity this week, something that has a bit of an exciting spark for you.
I’d love to hear about how it goes - let me know!
In case you missed those links above…
🤩 Share your creative joys! 🤩
From now on, each email will feature a section celebrating my creative joys, and YOURS, too!
Hit reply to share any kind of creative joy you’re causing or experiencing, and I’ll share it next time! 🤗
Examples of creative joys:
celebrating a small action you took on a project
something inspiring you read / heard / saw
someone else’s work of art
an item that makes your creative workspace a better place to be
My joys:
Espresso chocolate-covered malted milk balls as fuel (used sparingly - they’re super sweet and I have a low caffeine tolerance!)
The song Podicrê by Dani +Debora Gurgel Quarteto, which I enjoy playing
Working outside, preferably in a garden - sometimes I work from the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland!
Next time this section will be full of more joys, beaming out to you from me and anyone who wants to contribute!
🕸️ Staying on the good side of the internet 🕸️
Gathering as a way back to awe - I always love what Priya Parker has to say about making meaningful gatherings
A new mantra:intentional inefficiency - Chrissy Hennessey’s perspective on doing things “just because” relates to today’s letter
Break the Spell - Katherine North on “saturated presence”(when you’re fully, totally present)as a form of resistance and avoiding the numbness of overwhelm.