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The Restless Writer
If a cat can embrace its nature, why can’t we?
Our cat is agitated.
I watch him jump at a toy I throw his way before he quickly dismisses it.
He moves from space to space, room to room, unable to settle into a comfortable position.
Finally, he collapses near my feet and stares off into space as he drifts to sleep.
Eventually, he will get back up again, ready to explore. It’s all part of his daily cycle.
A Juggling Act
I feel the cat’s agitation. Like him, I tend to jump around. I move from topic to topic, draft to draft.
In fact, as I write this, I have five semi-complete posts simmering in the background.
Some would find this approach crazy. For them, it’s better to carry a project to completion instead of tackling multiple tasks at once. A 2015 Forbes article supports this sentiment, using a workplace effectiveness study to conclude we can’t really focus on multiple tasks and maintain productivity. In reality, we are quickly jumping back and forth between tasks, never giving any single thing our full attention.
There’s merit in portions of this assessment, but it fails to consider individual preferences, especially in the creative process.
Knowing What Makes You Tick
I know what I need to function creatively. I have to juggle multiple writing drafts at once.
Doing so is exhilarating. Like binge shopping at Amazon or in the early hours on Black Friday. It’s managed chaos, a way to channel the mundane into something more appealing.
Of course, I acknowledge the dark side of this approach, too. Turning things over in my head stimulates my creativity, but it’s also exhausting at times. When the thrill subsides, I’m left with piles of words yet to be corralled into something useful.
Regardless, I long ago accepted this is part of my natural rhythm, how I get from Point A to Point B.
And I’ve learned to accept both its pros and cons. It simply means I have to adapt my writing approach to accommodate the natural ebbs and flows.
Have you taken the time to evaluate what creative process works best for you?
If not, stay tuned. Two of the articles I’m finalizing delve into personality traits and their impact on preferred writing styles. I will post them here soon.
Until then, my fellow writers, simply be you…
