Shift

[vaneramos]

You change one little thing and everything changes. Well, maybe not everything, just a whole bunch of things. No doubt, my bout of anxiety last month resulted somehow, ironically, from getting more sleep. Maybe more energy and clarity reduced my tolerance. So I had to take time off, had to think, asked for some help, and came up with a plan.

A few days into the new schedule, I am delighted. Essentially, here is what is different:

1. instead of cramming as much meaningful activity as possible into my morning routine, I only write 100 words
2. I start work a half hour earlier and take a shorter lunch so I can leave work at 4 instead of 5 (and Tuesdays I quit at 12:30 instead of 2:30)
3. which gives me time to go for a walk after work
4. and still arrive home around 5:30, when I can start writing time with an entry in the nature journal, then move onto drier stuff

The first point (simplifying my morning routine) was only an afterthought, but it has made a huge difference. I was having such a hard time getting out of bed, and all along I blamed work. Now a lot of things have changed, but I think it's easier to get started mostly because I don't expect so much of myself in the 90 minutes before I leave for work. I'm not a morning person, sheesh, don't forget it! However, that small, simple writing task is foundational—ecstatic task.

And how about looking forward to an hour of unstructured adventure time after work? It's awesome!

Things really seem to have clicked. It is invigorating. At the same time I feel reverberations and a foreshadowing of more shifts that must come. This is more than I bargained for with 1 step of 6 Changes.

I had anticipating moving bedtime forward another 15 minutes, but now I'm not so sure. Going to bed at 10:45 and reading until 11:15 gives me about 6½ hours of sleep. I'm not used to that much on a regular basis. Last night a sound sleep left me feeling well rested. Maybe it's enough. Let's stick with this routine a few more days and see how it goes. Anyway, later this month I must start moving bedtime and the alarm clock forward by 15-minute increments to prepare ahead for Daylight Savings Time.

Comments

[apel.livejournal.com]

That's interesting that the small change that was an afterthought had such a big effect.

Good point about not trying to cram too much into the morning hours. I've noticed that my morning routine will expand to fill all available space up to 4 hours. I adore slow mornings.

[avad.livejournal.com]

inspiring. I need to make some small changes as well. realize how much better i feel about myself and everything when I do get myself to take even a short walk.
and agreed with both of you that the morning routine can expand to take 4 hours and we try to cram too much in before work. xoxo

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

D, I would be interested to read an outline of your ideal day as an artist.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The reason I ask this is because in the book (which has helped me immeasurably) Creating a Life Worth Living, Carol Lloyd interviewed all kinds of artists and innovators about their work routines.

[avad.livejournal.com]

hmmm thanks for getting me to do this exercise:

My ideal day is a longer day….so even though I love all the seasons…I’ll choose one with longer daylight than is now and weather warm enough for open windows…late spring, early fall. Sunset at 7 or so

7-8 am Wake, snuggle a bit more with brent
Watch sunlight stream in…smell air on breeze from open window…find wonder in the rays and the happy gift of another day, feel light, gratitude and slightly excited about day.
8 am Make coffee and bring it outside, feed birds. Take in beauty, smells, sights, details. Write a little in journal.
Feel excited about continuing work on ongoing studio project
9am Light candle, Hammer nails/prayers, feel ritual, gathering of energies, benevolent support.. then
Get to work in studio, feeling productive and capable, seeing/feeling things come together better than I imagined
1-2pm Lunch break, something healthy and yummy, connect and correspond and read thoughts and links and images from others online. Get the mail and there are several checks from sold artworks!:). Back inside I make notes on which projects/organizations I can now donate to. There is also a letter from a project donated to…which fills me with hope and determination, reminds and connects me across distance and motivates me. With this I
2-4:30 Go back to studio to work some more. Love how the piece(s) are turning out. Feeling they convey even more than I first thought. Feeling of accomplishment and potential.
4:30pm Late afternoon: Go explore some beautiful place, walk outdoors, take photos that surprise me (bay, woods, town, etc). Feel that strong sense of wonder.
6pm Back home, shower and put on something pretty and fair trade…relishing the feelings as I dress. Music that fills me with mood and perhaps a glass of wine at twilight.
7:30 Brent arrives home, either we stay in for lovely confortable dinner just the 2 of us (more often) or perhaps
Meet with artist friends for dinner and have good deep conversations, feeling of connection and collaboration on larger humanity goals and creativity.
10 pm Back home, enjoy some tea or coffee
Share inspirations, photos and thoughts from the day online, read correspondence and articles/links that are engaging, hopeful, energizing..
12 midnight Read more of interesting book before bed….mind sparking with delightful, rich thoughts and images
Kisses, feeling of deep connection, intimacy, love, gratitude
Fall into very inspiring Dreams that synthesize things in such a beautiful, vivid and mysterious way that I will be compelled to write them down next day.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing that. I feel great affinity for your routine, especially the way you make time for many of the same things I value: connecting with nature, people and "that strong sense of wonder". One major difference for me is that I like to work in the evening, however I can still combine that with social interaction because I love meeting writer friends and sharing a cafe table while we work. This also inspires me to think creatively about daily connection time with Danny in case we live together, which will probably come to pass in the not-too-distant future.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I love slow mornings, too. I think the greatest incentive for a freelance career would be knowing I can still get up at 6, but not start to really work until 10. My best creative time is in the late afternoon and evening.