Last week was a busy week.

As well as running the Get The One Thing a Day Habit course for the first time I was working hard on getting some sample pages ready for the book I’m working on for Perigee Books.

I thought I’d planned things well, leaving myself plenty of time for rest and recuperation, but problems with my home Internet connection meant that I had to go to town everyday to upload material for the course and the book and do all the other things that I rely on having a connection to the web for (most of what I do!).

Being forced to focus

At the beginning of the week I really enjoyed my trips to town. I was forced to focus, carefully planning and fitting everything I needed to do into the couple of hours I was in town for. Making (I thought) the very best use of my time.

I also got to eat a pot of delicious steaming porridge and jam every morning!

However, as the week went on I became increasingly tired.

Micro-productivity vs intense focus

I’m a big believer in the value of focus. Focusing most days on just one small thing is the way I keep my creative life ticking over and, as the years have gone by, the way I’ve built up a body of work. However, I tend to focus in very small chunks of time. I am micro-productive.

Being forced to focus everything I’d usually get done in a whole day into a couple of hours, and needing to do that at the same time each day has reminded me how lucky I normally am to be able to set my own agenda and work schedule.

Whilst at the beginning of the week I thought this sort of intense focus might be a good way for me to work (it did mean all my work was just done early in the day), as the days went on I saw just how unsustainable it was over any length of time.

Now my Internet connection seems to be more stable again, I’m delighted that I can return to my little and often way of working. I am, however, missing my daily pot of porridge!

More in the next Important Work Letter

I’m going to be writing more about what my week of porridge and forced focus has taught me about the value of micro-productivity in the next issue of The Important Work Letter.

Sign up for free in the sidebar here on any page of Sustainably Creative.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Below is today’s One Thing Today podcast. Every couple of weeks the podcast, which is sent out to Sustainably Creative members every weekday, is also available here on the site.

In which Michael records today’s episode on his way to breakfast and talks a little about his current thinking regarding his ongoing dilema of getting the balance right between work, rest and play.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

The video forms part of my new mini course which starts on Monday.

This first video is available to watch for free over the weekend.

Click here to watch the video (login with the password “teacup”).

Full details of the course can be found here.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

The need for some extra rest, relaxation (and chocolate cake)

I’ve been feeling increasingly run down over the last few weeks and so decided to take myself off to the wonderfully peaceful Gladstone’s Library for some rest, relaxation (and plenty of chocolate cake!).

Not always an easy decision to make

It’s often at the time when we most need to take extra special care of ourselves that it feels most difficult to do so.

1. When we’re tired our judgement is often impaired.

2. When we are under pressure from work we often feel that things are far more urgent than they really are.

If you’re exhausted and in need of a break but it feels like you simply can’t take one, think of it as a sign that you really need too!

Are you in need of some radical self-care?

Video letter: A few days away at Gladstone’s Libray

Below is a short video letter that I made while I was away.

New mini course now open for registration

Registration for my new mini course, Get The One Thing a Day Habit, is now open.

The course runs from 7th-13th May and is designed to fit into your usual day-to-day life. It aims to help you make just a little time each day to develop the habit of working little and often on a creative project (and looking after yourself in the process).

$30.00
($20.00 for Sustainably Creative members)

Full details here

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

A week of exercises, videos and audio prompts to help you begin to develop the One Thing a Day habit.

Monday 7th May – Sunday 13th May

• Turn up each day (and start to form a daily habit)
• Develop a small, manageable One Thing a Day project that fits with your available energy and interests
• Start to learn the power of working little and often
• Recognise the importance to taking time off and looking after yourself
• Swap ideas and get support from other course participants in the private course forum

Registration

• $30 ($20 for Sustainably Creative members)

• Free for any current or past Get Sustainably Creative coaching or coaching-lite clients (just drop me an email if you’re a past or current coaching client and I’ll register you for the course).

Sustainably Creative Members can register for just $20.00 here (you’ll need to be logged in).

Registration – $30.00

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Below is today’s One Thing Today podcast. Every couple of weeks the podcast, which is sent out to Sustainably Creative members every weekday, is also available here on the site.

In which Michael records today’s OTT episode from Gladstone’s Library where he’s planning a day of resting, coffee and cake and a little work.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Below is today’s One Thing Today podcast. Every couple of weeks the podcast, which is sent out to Sustainably Creative members every weekday, is also available here on the site.

In which Michael records the podcast from bed and apologises for the lack of podcasts over the last few days.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Below is today’s One Thing Today podcast. Every couple of weeks the podcast, which is sent out to Sustainably Creative members every weekday, is also available here on the site.

In which Michael puts some cheese and leek muffins in the oven for breakfast and discusses talking about what we’ve achieved rather than what we plan to do.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.

Sustainably Creative members can watch more about my trip here.

Michael Nobbs is a full-time artist, blogger and tea drinker (not necessarily in that order). He writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.

In the late 1990s he was diagnosed with ME/CFS and, over the last decade he has learnt a lot about sustaining a creative career with limited energy.