Many articles have helped me to develop my processes of generating production. Learning how I work best, by looking at what has worked & figuring out the keys.
This article titled How to Kill Writer’s Block and Become a Master Copywriter in Only 3 Hours a Day by Copyblogger is one of the articles that had a consistent message of breaking production into short sprints of creativity & work.
Here is one part that really hit me:
Craft and research were the fuel, but boredom was the key. It got to a point where he just couldn’t sit there for half an hour doing nothing … so he wrote.
Being a Stay At Home Dad means that most of the time I have so much stimulus that there is no way for me to get bored. I had to be intentional about radically reducing inputs and hurry.
What are your take aways from this post?
Here is a little more of what I take away from this post, especally today as I re-read it:
– I need blocks of time where I am not interupted & I limit what I do.
I remember the story of an serial entrapanuer who said between start-ups he would go home & pot plants. He would remove dirt, or move a plant between pots, or plant new plants. I see this as him decompressing, resting & getting ready for his next venture.
I need that time. I cannot go from taking care of screaming kids immediately into writing, recording, or other crafts (with some exceptions). It takes time for me to shift modes.
If I’ve built in that set time – for me right now I try to sit looking at a blank page at 10pm each night – it works best for everyone. I have produced more since I really started that. That story should be shared in the future.
1.) I see consistency. He wrote daily. He wrote in smaller chunks. No need for late-nighters when the deadline loomed.
2.) I have trouble concentrating when there’s stuff going on. I guess that’s why the house is quiet when I’m here alone (unless what I need to concentrate on involves noise.)
3.) Figuring our what to do for decompression time is important for all ages. When you were little, you needed a half hour or so transition between school and home. I let you watch Mr. Rogers. :~)