NOV 1st 1-2-3: Doomscrolling: A Lesson On resistance
1: Doomscrolling ( 3 minute read )
It was a morning like any other, except that I woke up an hour ago and I’m still on my phone, doomscrolling.
Thinking about that drawing I want to draw, that novel I desire to write.
I get up and grab a bite to eat, some coffee to hopefully motivate me, but creating just seems so slightly out of reach.
How do I get started?
Well I have been here many times, and as things tend to go, I research to find out why something is happening.
I love to analyze an issue, a problem, a symptom until the day is close to over and then all that is left is to rest, relax, sleep until the next day.
This isn’t to say I don’t get some things done, of course we all do. We find the things we can do to feel “productive” without doing what will really move the needle on the work that we know we are purposed to do.
Cal Newport talks about this in his book, Slow Productivity. He describes the overwork that keeps us from doing the most important work.
He proposes the term, Pseudo-Productivity, as “ the use of visible activity as the primary means of approximating actual productive effort.”
Busy-ness becomes the panacea for the anxiety-ridden creative who has yet to put pen to paper.
Cal paints this in the realm of the knowledge worker, and I believe that it works so well to describe what us creatives do.
To put it plainly, we find other things to do that keep us from the writing, the drawing, the playing and recording, etc.
Forewarned is forearmed, and it is important to know that this manner of work does exist. This is the first step towards ”Getting Started.”
Next, is the fact that there is a Resistance behind the work that you are purposed to do.
You and I both know the feeling, of course I love drawing and writing, but when it comes to it just getting started can feel like such a wall.
This Resistance, is the proof that the work is important.
Our minds love being comfortable and familiar with what we are doing. It is easier and more pleasing to scroll and see all the art rather than to make our own.
This brings us to the next fact that is so important to embrace: the resistance doesn’t go away, you just get more seasoned at facing it, daily.
So I wrote, I drew, I recorded.
Now it is a new day, why does starting it feel so hard still?
Steven Pressfield gives us insight into just this in his book, The War of Art. He says, “Fear doesn’t go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.”
There is nothing wrong with you, there is nothing broken, it is just a fact of life that there will be Resistance.
I have found that the hardest part of getting started is just that, starting.
Everyday, once you have awoken, the Resistance presents itself like a new monster to be slain, and everyday you get the opportunity to slay it.
And once the day is done, and the monsters are slain, you rest to recover from the battles, and the next morning they have respawned.
It is a fact of the creative journey, and it is good. This is what keeps us moving forward, making us stronger, wiser, and more erudite in our communication through art.
Do not lose heart, because like a rock atop a hill, once it has tipped over the edge it rolls down the hill.
Such is the act of starting.
You only need to start.
So here are some battle tips that have helped me immensely, and should help you too!
Remove friction: make it as easy to do what you have set out to do. Put the paper and pen on your desk where you have to sit the next day. Put your instrument in your kitchen where you make your coffee. You get the idea.
Set a timer for 3 minutes: …then get to work. You only have to do 3 minutes, and you do not have to do more than that, but you certainly can! Oftentimes, I find myself setting a timer and then I end up going over by much more because I am already in a flow. The rock has tipped over the hill.
Remind yourself why you love this: One doesn’t need to tell a child to be creative, they just do it! Just observe a child with crayons, or a lego set, and watch how they build and experiment. Why? Because it is innate in us. We are all creators, it’s just that life lumps expectations on us and we subscribe to them. Have the joy of a child playing with toys, make your art and give yourself permission to have fun.
John Lennon said that “Every child is an artist until he’s told he’s not an artist.”
We tell ourselves that sometimes too, don’t we?
Well you are an artist, and you get to have fun making art. Get started, try just a few minutes, and I am sure you are going to do much better than you planned.
Believe in the me that believes in you!
2: Creative Prompts From Us (ex. Write a short story, a poem, a song, or draw a quick illustration of these! Let your imagination run free.)
I. This one is a bit different! Do 3 sets of 5 squats, with a 3 minute break in between each set. Feel your body come alive. Notice your mind loosen. Great, now create something!
II. This will be for 10-15 minutes. Disconnect from all technology, turn off any screens, music, anything that stimulates your senses. Now sit and stare at the wall, and allow your mind to wander. What kind of creative ideas come to mind?
3: Inspirational Quotes From Others
I. "Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought” - Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
II. "Art is the elimination of the unnecessary” - Pablo Picasso, Artist
III. "Rest nurtures creativity, which nurtures activity. Activity nurtures rest, which sustains creativity. Each draws from and contributes to the other". Kim John Payne, Author
Thanks for reading!