Protected Time
This one is about creativity
If I rewind to my childhood, much of what I remember is around writing. I grew up in the 2000s (good times) and this massive clunky computer was one of my most precious possessions.
We didn’t have Internet at home and my main form of entertainment — aside from Microsoft Paint and Minesweeper— was a Word document.
I would spend hours building characters and bringing them into my stories. Some were pure fiction, others could’ve easily been a chapter of someone’s memoir.
That was my definition of peace. The quiet moments when I'd sit in front of that low-resolution screen and let my imagination run wild.
This image persists as to how I envision the ideal environment for creative work.
It’s hard to escape distractions today. Our days are filled with meetings, emails, and all sorts of shallow demands. Indecent amounts of scrolling too.
We think that running around like a headless chicken is somehow the impersonation of a successful person. Strange.
However, slowing down, solitude, and single-tasking are more conducive to meaningful work and getting the creative juices flowing (this last phrase gives me the ick, but couldn’t find a better replacement).
To create, you need protected time.
I love mornings to do the heavy stuff. The stuff that requires my brain. I let mundane tasks cascade toward the mid and end of the day.
You might be different. Find what works for you.
Once you figured out your ideal distribution:
Set time aside to think (so underrated).
Set time aside to create.
Set time aside to review.
Sitting with ourselves allows us to process and rewire everything we’ve been consuming.
It’s therapeutic, liberating, and a form of legacy.
Take a blank sheet. Let it out.
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Until soon,
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