This past week I have been in full blown procrastination mode a la Avanaut. I find myself doing practically anything instead of working on those large, self imposed, projects I set out for myself.
My procrastination is so bad, I am actually tackling the dreaded and tedious task of sorting LEGO, cleaning out my closets and of course escaping into the nearby wilderness with kids and friends in tow. Sure my house is cleaner, my LEGO is getting a much needed major reorganization and I have certainly enjoyed taking mini figure photos in some spectacular scenery; but those projects I set before me to do are still begging for my attention.
In fact there is a very cute little brown faced figure sitting on my desk, staring at me, wondering when we are going to get started on our project. I have to tell my little friend to be patient a little longer because I think this down time, this procrastination, is a good thing.
One of my favorite authors, Hillary Mantel, said this about procrastination:
Imagination only comes when you privilege the subconscious, when you make delay and procrastination work for you.
While I am working so hard not to work, I know my subconscious is busy working out the problems ahead of me. Instead of running head long into an impasse, I am slowly figuring out the work arounds. I think this is what Ms Mantel was talking about when she says: “make delay and procrastination work for you.”
I am learning to embrace these white spaces, the down time, and have faith that when the time is right, the photographs I am looking for will flow effortlessly.
In the mean time, I will leave you with a couple of very recent images that I couldn’t be happier with.
~ xxSJC
Enjoying the Moment
I’ve heard a similar phrase regarding procrastination before. I can’t remember the exact phrasing but the gist of it was that it’s harder to come up with ideas when you have a lot of things on your mind.
Although being stressed and having a deadline can force ideas out of you, and I’ve experienced that a few times, the best ideas come from a period of calm. Or at least that’s how it seems from my experience.
Sometimes you just need to give the mind a bit of space for the muse to dance! All in due time my dear <3
Giving yourself a permission to being seemingly unproductive is not easy, we are so easily pushed into being active in some way or another. Work and perhaps entertainment takes up everything, and before you know it, you have spent years without stopping to think.
Without some undesignated time, nothing happens creatively. Procrastination can also be a sign of the need for such a break.