While I have been noticably AWOL here of late, I've been off-the-charts generative in other parts of my life.
Even reductive, as necessary.
Writing. Designing. Cleaning. Writing.
Creating presentations for me to speechify. (Yes, multiple: when it rains, it pours, baby.) Writing off-color songs and performing them before a live audience (use caution with that last link).
And, most exciting of all, clearing the decks for what looks to be the adventure of my middle-aged life, later this fall.
On top of all that, I got a crazy-ass bee in my bonnet to submit an entry to this little contest Southwest Airlines is running. Not because I have a great love of air travel (really, they're gonna have to turn me around on that one), but because some real-life connecting over the weekend in the form of an impulse trip to Albuquerque reminded me of how awesomely stupendous it is to see people in person. And something about the crazy vortex of creative energy that's currently experiencing me (no pun intended, and yes, that grammatical construction was correct) inspired an idea.
Did I say "inspired"? More like "leapt out of my head, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me...HARD!" Because that's how it is with creativity and ideas and The Juice: once you open yourself up to it, and kinda-sorta let it be known that you will be a responsible conduit craaaaazy things happen.
There are some things you have to do to make this great state of creativity happen. Merlin has been posting a lot of good stuff about it lately. In fact, he's been so on fire, I'm guessing he's practicing a lot of what he's preaching.
And more's the better for all: us, because we get his best, and a goodly dose of inspiration, to boot; him, because I can almost guarantee you he feels better these days when his head hits the pillow.
You can't always be in productive mode, of course. Fields lie fallow once yearly for resting/recuperative purposes, and probably, so should we. (Well, not for a season, necessarily, but you know.) I'm guessing that even high-percentile-prolific people like Seth, Chris, Walt, my friend, Tim, and anyone else who makes a metric crapload of cool stuff on on a regular basis takes a break sometimes. (Brogan, you officially need to take one more often!)
But at some point, you put your ass in the seat, hunker down and do the deed. And you say "yes" to all the good stuff that comes along that really lights your fire, regardless of how busy you are. Because, trust me, you will always find time for the good stuff. And the stuff that grabs YOU? And won't let you go? That's the superfine, añejo stuff. That stuff, you clear your calendar for.
I am hunkered; I have swept away all non-essential items. But I am going to come back from this crazy jolt of creativity with new vigor and a plan, so look out!
In the meantime, if you feel like helping me out on my crazy little project for Southwest, and you live in or near one of the cities listed here, email me. The address is all over this site, but you can also just send to communicatrix at the gmail. Easy-peasy.
Thanks for playing. Now...go make stuff!
xxx c
Image by litherland via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.