Monday, 17 August 2015

Busy Doing Nothing

Socrates said: Beware the barrenness of a busy life. Those Greeks knew a thing or two, didn't they? When I don't write - and there are far too many days when that happens - it's never because I can't think what to write about. I may be 'blocked' on one piece of work, but there's always another one on the go that I can work on instead.

 No, when I don't write, it's because I'm too busy doing other things: preparing for or taking part in Chudfest (our town's ten-day festival); editing newsletters; meeting other writers for networking; cleaning the house - and so the list goes on. When I was at work, when I had a 'proper job', I would go to the office or factory, do my eight hours - and then the rest of the day was my own.
I need to think about writing as work. Then it would be my new 'proper job' and would take priority, be productive. After all, I have the best job in the world - why wouldn't I want to turn up every day and just do it?

[And in case my husband or sisters are reading this - I lied about cleaning the house!]

 The illustrated quotation is taken from Being in the Now, one of a new range of adult colouring books of mindfulness quotes, and is reproduced by kind permission of Luscious Books.
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6 comments:

  1. Liz Hurst17 August 2015 at 16:22

    I know exactly the feeling, Elizabeth!

    I have today taken a day off from my 'proper job'. The intention was to get up at the usual time and get cracking on finishing one short story, followed by a good 1000 words or so of my next novella.

    Well, it's almost teatime and I'm only halfway through the short story. I have however, got an empty laundry basket and I've made some nice fresh soup for tea... I'm due to attend the village book group at 8pm too, so there won't be a great deal done this evening either.

    Liz
    x

    P.S. I've done some colouring too ;)

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    1. Elizabeth Ducie29 August 2015 at 07:44

      Hi Liz This is so familiar, it really made me laugh! And I found myself colouring in yesterday while I waited for something to happen on the computer. Not sure it was productive, but it was certainly calming. Ex

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  2. https://www.judithbarrow-author.co.uk/20 August 2015 at 10:01

    Know this feeling so well ... been doing this myself lately!

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    1. Elizabeth Ducie29 August 2015 at 07:45

      I think there are a lot of us around, Judith. Ex

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  3. H_cat26 August 2015 at 11:08

    I am 'ashamed' to say I am a writer at times..even thigh it is my job, as I spend so much time 'thinking, researching' and generally faffing. The trouble with anything creative is that it takes ages to sit down and create. Which is daft, as once we do, time flies, the world recedes and we are in a magical place where nothing may happen. Mind, beats the 9 - 5 stuff, anyday!

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    1. Elizabeth Ducie29 August 2015 at 07:47

      But research is part of writing, isn't it? I phoned a property agent in London this week to ask a question because 'I'm a writer and I'm planning to have one of my characters live in your building'. He was very helpful - and it made me feel productive, even if I wasn't writing anything at the time. Or is that just another bit of barren busyness? Ex

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