Being Busy Isn’t Always Good.
Being Busy Isn’t Always Good.
Your other interests in life can lead to your best creative inspiration.
I recently posted this shot that showcased a very small portion of the Native Roots rebrand that I worked on last year. It ended up getting incredible engagement, and I think I owe it to the thoughts dished up with the imagery. An elaborated version of my post copy below…
I feel like "I've been busy" with work as a freelance graphic designer for years. And, I’ve loved it. Through that, I’ve unintentionally drawn a direct connection between both my busyness and the success of my business. In fact, when people have emailed me in the past with a smaller request noting "I know you're super busy, but...", I would get a weird sense of satisfaction: "They know I'm out here gettin' it!" I'd think to myself.
Then, 2020 happened — this year kicked me square in the teeth with a pair of tap dancing shoes, just as it has for many others. I found myself, for the first time in years, twiddling my thumbs, looking for any graphic design work, freelance logo design, or lettering work, and simultaneously wondering what the hell I should be doing. For the first time in years I was forced to have time to sit still, to think, to not work, to relax, and to breathe.
And, it was damn fantastic (*also strewn with extreme bouts of anxiety at times). With this new-found time, I was able to actually see how much I was neglecting so many other things: my personal life, my exercise and health, my love for the outdoors and skateboarding, low-key days for the hell of it — with this new-found time I was able to indulge in things OTHER than my work.
Looking back, I wonder, what the hell was I doing? Why was I always SO busy? After a brief moment of introspection, I realize that a huge reason was because I'm pretty bad at saying no. Everything sounds like a fun opportunity in the moment. But, at the sacrifice of what? My personal life? My exercise? My time traveling and outside? My happiness?
9 times out of 10, It's not worth sacrificing any of these things to work more. I need to calibrate my brain and remind myself that: I have a job so that I can afford to live the life I want to live. In other words, I work SO THAT I can do these things.
It’s also worth noting that some of the truest originality and best creative work that you can do will come from an amalgamation of sources and experiences. Your best ideas will hit you mid-run, in the shower, or relaxing in the park. This is because your guard is down and you’re relaxed in these environments, and this allows the subconscious, daydreamy side of your brain to meander more openly.
Allowing yourself the time to do things outside of creative work will lead to more prolific, original and organic ideation.
I also realize that I sometimes fail to manage my time with realistic expectations. I'll lie to myself, saying "I'll only spend 3 hours on this", full-knowing I’m incapable of halfassing anything, and those 3 hours will turn into 8 hours when my full ass dives into the project.
Welp, I'm busy again. And I'm thankful for that. I'm beyond thankful for the possibility to continue to do what I do; however, this time, I'm gonna be doing it a bit differently. Instead of being a shell of a human, my brain constantly consumed by what I need to do later that week, I'm gonna try to be more real with myself. I'm making an effort to set more realistic timelines, goals and expectations so that I can be a more present and level-headed person as I continue to plow through the busyness.
I hope that this cathartic articulation of my own introspection sheds some light on areas of your own process that need some attention.
Smoochez.
- Vic
As always, hit me with any questions or thoughts that you might have! For more, get 1-on-1 coaching or mentorship. Schedule a call.
WHAT'S ON THE PLATE FOR NEXT WEEK:
I’m gonna do some research on how doing “normal life stuff” or activities you personally enjoy enables the subconscious to more freely wander, and thus, leads to innovative and unexpected ideas. Simply: I want to verify or disprove my inclination that “free time” is imperative for the creative mind.
