Trying to keep things ticking over

On days like this I do trying to look after myself, but at the same time do one or two things to keep my creative life ticking over. Today I wanted to do a little yoga stretching, record my short daily podcast and write for twenty minutes. Apart from that I planned to nap and drink tea by the fire.

Thinking I’d done rather well, but…

Unfortunately, my belief in my ability to work through the fog outstripped by actual ability. I recorded my podcast and wrote for twenty minutes, but when I woke from my nap, happily with a less foggy brain, I realised that my writing made little sense (typos galore, unfinished thoughts and unfinished sentences!), and I’d forgotten to actually publish my podcast!

All was not lost of course, I had at least recorded the podcast and had some writing to edit, but I do wonder if it would really have mattered if I’d been a little kinder to myself and waited until later to do both.

What I did get right

The one part of my day that did go smoothly and to plan, was sitting in front of the fire drinking tea. There probably is a lesson there somewhere…

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.

Work, rest and play.

One ball keeps getting dropped

Keeping those three balls in the air has never been easy for me, and it is the “play” ball that I find often gets dropped. That’s something I’m trying to change.

This coming week I’m starting to work through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way for a fifth time, and I’m going to use this journey through the book to prioritise some fun in my life.

Artist dates

A cornerstone of The Artist’s Way is taking a weekly artist date. Julia Cameron discribes the artist date as:

           …an excursion, a play date that you preplan and defend against all
          interlopers.

I like the emphasis here on both play and preplan. Whilst it’s lovely if play can be spontaneous, for those of us that have problems setting the time and energy aside for such things, a little bit of preplanning is a VERY good idea!

Getting into practice

I’ve been getting into practice for my twelves weeks of working through The Artist’s Way this past week by both starting to write my morning pages AND by taking an artist date.

For my first artists date in a very long time I took a trip to the nearby town of Machynlleth for look around a couple of my favourite shops. The drive to the town is quite a long one, about forty five minutes along a road that takes me passed snow-capped hilltops and views of mountain in the distance. I listened to a drama on the radio as I drove and stopped midroute for cup of tea from the flask I’d bought along.

Posh chocolate (and posh paint)

In Machynlleth I visited a lovely shop that, as well as selling art materials (I resisted buying yet another pen!), stocks a brand of decorating paint I very much like. I treated myself to some tester pots of some colours to try out in my bedroom. Afterwards I found some very posh chocolate in a another shop and added that to my bag too.

Accepting that having more fun might mean less energy for other things

The trip did tire me, and I’ve found it difficult to do much else this week, but I think, if I am going to make fun more of a priority in my life I need to accept that I’m going to have less energy for other things.

This isn’t an easy trade-off for me to make (which is why I don’t have a lot of fun in my life), but it is one I’m going to experiment with for the next three months at least.

I do wonder, if ultimately, more fun might feed my soul in ways that all adds a little energy to my energy bank, but if it doesn’t it still might be a trade-off worth making.

__

If you’re interested in working through Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, online with Michael and other Sustainably Creative members, you can find out more 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.

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

In which Michael forgets to put his coffee on to brew, talks about writing Morning Pages and how there is only so much creative energy to go around.

__

If you’re interested in working through Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way online, with other Sustainably Creative members, you can find out more 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.

Possibly the best birthday gift ever

I was given the book by a friend about twenty years ago. I remember looking at and loving the cover (it wasn’t the current cover but rather a picture of a bright rainbow coloured handprint dripping with paint), reading through the first few pages and thinking that the book probably wasn’t for me.

The book found its way to my bedroom bookshelf and sat there for a number of years until I was diagnosed with ME/CFS and had become too ill to work. Illness made me begin to reassess my life and question paths I’d taken (and not taken).

Embracing jealousy and diving into the book

For a while I’d been thinking about how jealous I’d been of my school friends who’d studied art and gone on to art college. (I’d failed my O’Level art exam at sixteen and let go of any dreams of being a creative person when I saw my result).

The bright blue spine of The Artist’s Way kept catching my eye and I eventually picked it up. One of the first things I read as I flicked through the book was that Julia Cameron believed that jealousy was an indicator of the things we secretly wanted to be doing. Maybe this book was for me after all!

A very long journey (and one that’s not over yet!)

Those first (very uncomfortable) feelings of jealousy have taken me a very long way and been turned into something far more positive.

I’ve worked through the book four times over the last decade and a half. Each time I discover something new and feel like I take a new creative leap.

Time to work through the book for a fifth time

Now feels like a good time to work through the book a fifth time, revisit the exercises, re-embrace the tools of writing Morning Pages and going on Artist’s Dates (and even committing to the dreaded media deprivation week in Chapter Four!).

Join me?

If you’re a member of Sustainably Creative and would like to join me and some other members to work through the book together then you’d be most welcome. I’m planning to begin in the first week of February and will be setting up a dedicated chatroom in the members’ forum (new members are most welcome too of course!).

Julia Cameron on jealousy

If, like I was, you’re feeling jealous of other people’s creative skills and successes then this little interview with Julia might reassure you that that’s okay (and even a good thing!).

__

If you’d like to work through The Artist’s Way with other Sustainably Creative members then pop over to the members’ forum and let Michael know in this discussion. He’ll be setting up a dedicated chatroom soon and will let you know details of that, plus when he’ll be starting working through the book via email.

If you’re not yet a member, but would like to join in and work through the book too, then you can find out about becoming a member 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.

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

In which Michael brews his morning coffee and talks a little more about how he is making use of bribery and treats to get past his post holiday resistance to getting down to work.

Members can join in with a chat over on the members’ forum about using bribes and treats to get work done.

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.

I’ve been doing a lot of cajoling since my break from work over Christmas and New Year. Partly I’m a little tired after my wonderful trip to Spain, but partly I’m also unwilling to get back to work after the fun and games of the holidays.

Getting the balance right

This is something I experience a lot. There’s a balance between on one hand, being kind and gentle with myself so that I don’t overdo things and use up my precious and limited energy, and on the other, not giving into the natural resistance to working that we all experience from time to time whether we’re well or ill.

So I’m cajoling myself. Promising myself little treats when I get a few things done. Here in the cafe I’m planning to buy myself a mug of Earl Grey tea (and maybe, just maybe a cake!) after I hit publish on this post.

A little cup for little treats

At home, I’ve been making heavy use of a lovely little cup I was sent from Christmas. The cup is small enough to be filled (guilt-free!) with my favourite Spanish hot chocolate, and I can repeat the bribe a couple of times a day if need be!

What can you get done with a little bribery?

Bribery is a very useful tool in the getting our Important Work done arsenal. What can you get done today with some small treats and bribery?

If you’re a member of Sustainably Creative you can join in a discussion in the members’ forum about using small treats and bribery to help us get our Important Work done.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy my fortnightly(ish) The Important Work Letter. Sign up on the right for free.

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 Sustainable Life

I’ve been drawing my A Sustainable Life digital postcards and emailing them out to members of Sustainably Creative for about six months now.

Celebrating a little milestone

To celebrate this little milestone I’ve made a very limited print run of the first ten postcards.

The cards come in sets of twenty (two of each design), are signed and editioned, printed on lovely heavyweight paper (350gsm) and measure 105mm x 148mm (4.13″ x 5.82″).

The cards looked beautiful framed (as kindly demonstrated below by Sustainably Creative member, Jez Whitworth) and cost £20.00 (plus p & p) per set. There are ten sets available.

£20.00
(plus £2.95 towards postage wherever you are in the world).

Members’ discount

Members of Sustainably Creative are entitled to a 25% discount, making a set just £15.00 (plus p & p).

Login and click here to order.

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.

I haven’t flown for quite some while and wasn’t aware of the security measure that means all liquids and potions that come along on holiday with us need to fit into a VERY small clear plastic bag. I’ve spend quite a bit of time getting everything to fit! Moreover, because I’m travelling light and only taking hand luggage I’ve had to make very careful choices about what else to pack. 

Packing like this has reminded me just how useful limits are in our creative life too, and I’m chatting about that in the One Thing Today Podcast below. 

The One Thing Today podcast is sent out every weekday to Sustainably Creative members and provides a creative nudge to help listening find one small thing everyday to do to move their creative lives on a little. 

One Thing Today #164: Limits

In which Michael records the podcast en route to his New Year’s holiday in Spain and talks about the usefulness of limits in our creative endeavours. 

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.

Pyjamas and Christmas cake!

This morning I’m podcasting in my pyjamas and celebrating the fact by having a slice of (chocolate!) Christmas cake for breakfast.

In today’s One Thing Today podcast, as a bit of an antidote to all of yesterday’s talk about New Year’s resolutions, I’m talking about the importance of noticing what we’ve done. I discuss a very useful looking web tool called iDoneThis which someone very kindly sent me a link to to recently (thank you, Gerri!).

Cornerstone of the membership package

The One Thing Today podcasts are the cornerstone of the Sustainable Creative membership package and are emailed out to members every weekday. Between Christmas and New Year they are available to everyone to listen to.

If you’d like to have the podcast delivered to your inbox everyday find out more here.

One Thing Today #163: iDoneThis.com

In which Michael is delighted to be able to podcast in his Pyjamas and eat a slice of (chocolate!) Christmas cake for breakfast.

In this episode he talks about the importance of noticing what we’ve done and mentions a site called iDoneThis.com, which looks like a perfect tool to help with just that very thing.

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 manageable start to the day

However, I am enjoying recording the daily One Thing Today podcasts. They are a manageable start to the day and, especially after a bit of a break from work, seem to help me get back into a creative and work rhythm.

The podcasts are the cornerstone of the Sustainable Creative membership package and are emailed out to members every weekday. Between Christmas and New Year they are available to everyone to listen to.

I’m discussing the pros and cons of making New Year’s resolutions in today’s podcast.

If you’d like to have the podcast delivered to your inbox everyday find out more here.

One Thing Today #162: New Year’s resolutions

In which Michael pours out his morning coffee and ponders the pros and con’s of making New Year’s resolutions.

If you’re a member of Sustainably Creative and you’d like to join in with the chat about New Year’s resolutions in the members’ forum you can do so 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.