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so how do you do it?
dieter | Nov 8 2005
Nothing like a descriptive subject line, eh? Sorry about that. Here's the situation. My day job, while quite good as these things go (pay is good, coworkers are great, that sort of thing), is kicking my ass in terms of my ability to be creative. The absolute last thing I want to do when I get home is sit in front of a computer for another moment, which sucks, given that I'm a web developer. This morning I was in a McDonalds (the McGriddle is a damned fine way to deal with angst), and I noticed that they had free wireless access. I found myself jealous of folks that get to hang out at Mickey D's all day long -- a feeling I haven't had to deal with since sixth grade. But a life free from corporate baloney sounds so wonderful that I'd be willing to put up with a higher cholesterol count. So how do you get the hell out of dodge, especially when you have a family? More fundamentally, how do you figure out exactly what you want to do, when you don't have Po Bronson on speed dial? I'm aware that the grass is always greener on the other side of the cubicle, and that working freelance (or something of that nature) brings with it a certain amount of its own baloney as well. So what are the options? How is baloney minimized and creativity maximized? I know I'm not breaking any new ground with these questions, but something has got to be working to some degree for somebody. Any thoughts? 10 Comments
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 The Artist's Way has been...Submitted by crystallyn on November 13, 2005 - 8:49am.
The Artist's Way has been instrumental to me at various stages of my life. I definitely second that recommendation. I was very frustrated with my corporate existence and so when the dot.com crash occurred and I found myself out of a job, I decided that I would head back to school. I found a very innovative program at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and got my M.A. in Critical & Creative Thinking. It has done two things--it has enhanced the corporate work I do and it has given me new avenues to pursue my personal interests--writing and literature. I can't believe how it's changed the way I work and play. In lieu of pursuing a full degree, check and see if you have a local community adult education program that offers creative classes. Take a painting course, learn to juggle, write poetry--anything to shake your world up a little bit. Communicatrix was right about carving out time--even if it's only an extra 15 minutes a day. Little things can make a huge difference. Stop working through lunch and take that time to read, create, dream or plan. Even taking a walk can invigorate you. Also, start planning. Write down your dream and think of the very next step that will lead you to it. If you are always taking that next step, you will eventually get there. And when you are living and breathing the plan to your dream you will be delightfully surprised at the synchronicity that occurs as a result. You become aware of opportunities, ideas and the like. A great book that focuses on helping you move toward your dream is Sonia Choquette's "Your Heart's Desire." One of the things that is great about the book is how it helps you determine what your personal roadblocks are and how to get out of your own way. One of the most important things I learned in my critical & creative thinking classes was how creativity begets productivity and vice versa. It's a vicious circle--if you don't have one, the other suffers. But really what you need to do is have the Nike approach; Just Do It. » POSTED IN:
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