Anybody know what this is?
It's no secret that it takes a lot of time and energy to keep up an online journal. The creative thought that goes into even the simplest of entries is very time consuming, not to mention the amount of time spent taking and editing photos, creating an animation or graphic, writing a song, a poem or a haiku, painting a beautiful picture, drawing a cartoon or just telling silly inside stories about the magically mundane moments in our lives.
A book that I'm reading right now, "Organizing for the Creative Person" <-- describes the creative person as someone with the gift of being able to perceive global matters and produce emotion, image, intuition, sensuality, creativity and humor in a charismatic manner that may easily draw others to them.
The book also mentions that this kind of creativity resides in the right hemisphere of the brain and that the right hemisphere lacks any concept of time, structure or detail. These are traits that reside on the left side of the brain.
It seems as if the author of this book is trying to say, that the more time we spend using the right side of our brain, the higher our risk of becoming a bit disorganized in other aspects of our lives.
Since so many of you are among the most creative people that I know, I was wondering if any of you can relate to some degree, about becoming less organized in other areas when you are spending so much time being creative, or is it just me?
43 comments:
Boy, I relate to this!! I've never been particularly organized except when I was being PAID to do so. I'm getting worse all the timw. I do believe that you lose all sense of time in the creative process...so much detail or routine stuff gets pushed aside as I get more and more involved with my photography.
Well, I try to keep a balance but when I am deep into a particular posting and thinking about how to write it, other things do tend to go out of the window lol
...Somebody been looking in my windows.....??...keeping up with journals is hard...and about being disorganized...looks like I've found the reason why.....E
I can't seem to keep up with journals at all lately (and feel really guilty about that), let alone write much in mine...it's very time consuming and I find other things I need to do for the family aren't getting done....it's all in finding the balance....the creative process for me has no set time or date, it just happens and when it does, nothing else does....and sometimes that's just not good when there's other things to do....
~ www.jerseygirljournal.com
Keeping up with my journal is starting to feel like a second job to me. While I do love journaling it's very time consuming. Not to mention all of my journal alerts. God help me if I miss a day. It's seems like I never catch up.
Tami
The whole hospital/surgery thing put me so far behind! I just deleted tons, BUT, felt guilty, so as the new alerts came in I tried to go over what I had missed, thus falling farther behind!! As such, other than telling my medical story, I've totally lost my desire to write funny, entertaining entries of my own. I'm assuming this will pass, as I get healthier, BUT, it's very frustrating. rich
I poked around on a tropical plant site. Aloha Tropicals.
They sell all kinds of exotic (to me) stuff. There are a couple dozen types of bananas. Some are just shown flowering. This treasure could be Haaa Haaa. I'm not sure. If they are, it's a cooking banana.
And... if disorganization is a sign of creativity, then my family are untapped Piccaso's :)
I have no creativity! In some things I am organized beyond normal capacity, and in other areas I don't give a crap if things are organized or not!
xoxo
To tell the truth, I am highly unorganized. I fly by the seat of my pants. To focus, I make a "to do list" and follow it to the letter. It is the only way. As for my jnl...it just flows out of me with little effort. I could write write write all the time, but I have decided not to torture you all like that! HA! I can think in my head of a topic for a series...(since I am trying to find a new job, the series I am cooking up in my brain has to do with all my past jobs! and I had some doozies!)...I have to agree that I am very right side dominant. My husband says that is the reason I love to cook, to allow my creativity to come out. Then on the other hand, I am very good at math and logic! Go figure?
Hmmm...so what's the picture? Banana tree? I like.
My experience of the creative mind has been similar. I'm recently finding organization to be part of my creativity. But, as you may be able to see, I'm spending less time journaling and writing/playing music. Although, I'm spending way too much time playing with photos. LOL
I think part of our challenge on this planet is finding the balance. Whether it be spiritually, in our humanness. Or in our brain. Putting both sides of my brain on a project has been beneficial in many ways -- mainly, I'm getting things done in a more timely manner, giving me more freedom to spend way too much time playing with pictures (or whatever the creative venture of the moment).
Sounds like an interesting book.
Great question. Nettie kinda nails it on the head for me (Jersey girl). When it happens--everything else stops. But it can lead to me putting other things off. It's all about finding a balance that nurtures our creative impulses.
Sadly most of our lives, our working lives, are organized around stifling to one degree or another our creative impulses. This is, in my opinion, the goal of compulsory education and most 'jobs' in the capitalist system. Creative lively rational people would not commute hours everyday to a job when we all know there is plenty of 'work' to be done right in our own communities.
With that said, while our journaling may lead to disorganization in some aspects of our lives, I think it's for the greater good. Our spirit needs these creative outlets that are simply not fed by sitting brain-dead watching the television spoon-feed us infotainment.
Journal on!
dave
Hi :)
Well, I have been known to be disorganized in other parts of my life, when working on projects such as journal writing. I am lucky in some ways, I live in a modest size home, and I have no children, so I can understand how many would have it difficult. I admire the mothers here in the land that put so much time in the care and day to day life of their families, yet still find time to display such creativity as I have seen them display. Balance in everything is good, taking a break, from time to time, to clear the mind and keep the homefires burning is another good way to keep up the pace.
Always, Carly :)
Is that a picture of an artichoke?
Yes, the more deeply I enter my creative world the less organized I am in other aspects of my life. I think this is where the term "absent-minded professor" comes from! LOL.
You mean this isn't normal?!
I can relate. I do spend a fair amount of time placing an entry online. I do "try" to build in organization to my creative process mostly due to the fact that when I get disorganized, I lose track of important photos and such.
I don't feel that creativity and organization are separate things that can't exsist together.
I have no idea what the photos is :-)
Being the contradictory person that I am, my answer is yes and no. When I really give time to a creative project, I lose organization in other areas simply because I have less time to give them. However, being an order loving person, if I don't give the time to maintaining some order in my home and work, I can't keep the calm I need to focus on my writing. So, I have to be disciplined about task completion and time management, and when I settle down to write, abandon that structure and let it flow. Right now, my house is in chaos, and I feel dull as mud.
OMG {{{{{Coy}}}}} when I was being the most creative in my journal things around me were in utter chaos because I virtually ignored them in order to exercise my creativity online. Life has soft of taken over and in order to accomplish some personal projects that were long overdue, my journal is currently lacking creativity...which is being channeled into moving and setting up my new house. YIKES
Vivian
Hmmmm.... I don't think I'm organized... No, I know I'm not organized <g>, but I don't know if I consider myself a 'creative' person or not either. I admit, I do spend a little time on an entry, sometimes as much as an hour by the time I mess with graphics or photos, get them uploaded and make them appear in the entry the way I would like. Or, if it's an entry about an internet site, or news article, or something like that, I will spend some time getting the proper links/credits. I think I would probably make MORE entries, however, if I wasn't so addicted to reading everyone ELSE's Journals <LOL>.
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind
Nope, it's not just you. : ) I should send you a photo of my laundry pile. {But it's more because I despise folding clothes then it is because I'm being creative ; )} That book sounds interesting! BTW, I hope you had a very happy Mothers Day!!!
I want to know how you are finding time to read! ;-p
I'm actually more of a left-brainer than I am a right-brainer - very logical and analytical. I try to be organized in my journaling even. Or, I should say I "tried." I've pretty much given up on that even. Now, I just try to follow what the moment calls for. Right now, it's work - mostly. :-) ---Robbie
The plant looks like some kind of cactus??? :::shrugs::: :-) ---Robbie
Coy,
I totaly agree... I am a major right brain person... the rest of the world can fall apart when i am working on my paintings, writing, or nature stuff....
i can never seem to get orginised....
it is one of my major faults..
:)
kate
Looks like an artichoke to me.
And organized...who me?
Wha ha ha ha ha!
Connie
That looks kind of like a pandanus plant, which is a type of palm tree. In ancient Hawaii they would dry the fiberous 'nut', and use the bristles at the end as a paintbrush.
As for the effects of my creativeness versus organization... well, I was definitely born without THAT gene! My creative side and my regular side are both chaotic to say the least. I'm sure if I were to discover some sort of organization in my life I would be allergic to it so its just as well I don't have it.
It's not just you. The more time I spend on my photography and my journal...the rest of my "organization" goes to hell. I seem to lose hours and I don't know where they went. I SWEAR I look at the clock and think, no problem - I have 4 hours until I need to start dinner so I'll work on one of my stories...It will feel like only minutes have passed and suddenly my husband is asking if we are going to eat anything for dinner. 5+ hours have gone by!!! I wish I could apply that kind of focus to my house cleaning or the laundry. LOL
As a left-handed person, I am controlled by the right side of my brain. I have very little concept of time and I am very creative about many aspects of my life and tend to find inspiration in the strangest of things but, I am also of German heritage so, the organization part is hardwired in my brain. At least creative types are always in their "right" mind!
P.S. I haven't a clue what the hell that is. I think I blew it out of my nose the last time I had a cold. LOL!
Judging by all the comments, you've touched a nerve here, Coy! I'm pretty new to all of this. So far, the main goal for me has been to find balance. I try to do this by journaling late at night or very early in the morning (and by journaling, I mean reading as well as writing). I lose out on some sleep, I know! Working on that! Sam
it must be true,because I should b egetting ready fo rwork and here i sit
Marti
yes, there are things that totally drop off my radar. There is a list of priorities..... and some stuff just isn't on it.:):) judi
this is me. I must have a 100 projects on the works at the same time, hard for me to stay organized. Athough I would call myself anal at times. I mean when I'm finally ready to get organized, I take the entire day to get that way, then by the next day I'm all over the place again. Inside my head right or left brain, I think both sides are full of clutter. :)
Derek
http://journals.aol.com/deveil/PictureoftheDay/
Take today for instance, I'm thinking of many photo opps, there's an old cemetery with beautiful statues, so I want to go take some pics with the flowers by the grey marble. I need to get some stuff packed in boxes for my move June 1st, I'm working on a novel, I reading a book, and my desk as I sit here looks like it needs to be cleaned off.
that photo looks like a bunch of bananas!
I have problems concentrating on other things when I'm writing or what not. I get easily distracted and have for probably the past 5 years or so. Years ago it wasn't really a problem, but now I must have absolute concentration to come up with creative ideas. Of course, once I start the balls rolling everything else becomes an after thought, so yes..the organization does seem to go when creativity comes in!
Take care of yourself doll~
xoxo~Bernadette
When I am caught up in a project, everything else goes to hell :) You are not alone!
Look at all the creative people you've amassed in your comments section, Coy!
I can be very disorganized in some areas and very organized in others... I rarely lose things and am quite punctual, but I don't like to plan and I have clutter issues. When I am immersed in a project, like many others, it looks like a bomb went off in my home. One thing: I got a whole lot more done in other areas of my life when my computer was broken! Icky-poo!
I have no idea what that plant is, but it's cool. --Albert
hey there my friend - thanks for thinking i'm creative. at the moment i feel like an empty shell, so worn out from the ending of the semester that i can hardly heat up a frozen pizza. interesting stuff here, in the entry and among the comments. i can most identify with what dave (ibspiccoli) says in his comment - contemporary life is organized around defeating the creative impulse. i spend so goddamn much time trying to stay organized in my professional life that much else is lost. i feel desperate to get some creativity and looseness back into my life. my ideal life would be going where the spirit moves me - not having to follow other people's and institutions' schedules and grade charts. even teaching, of the sort i am doing, has little or no creativity in it. i am constantly searching for a way to work outside the box as well as in it, but what i'm doing is so cut and dried there's not much of a way to exit the box.
i need more unstructured time in my life, before i explode or turn into feeling permanently "dull as mud" as cynthia (sistercdr) says in her comment. when i'm busy trying to keep to a work schedule many other things go to hell - house cleaning in particular. i don't need a clean house in order to function. i only need a clean house to host company. but the clutter is getting to me, and i'm starting today to declutter. okay, i'll shut up now. thanks for asking. guess i've got some stuff to think about around all this!
No, it's not just you. Since starting my journals, my organizational tendancies have definitely waned. What you said makes complete and total sense to me. So hooray for those right-brained yet somewhat scattered people we know and love.
~Dona
Oh thank you for writing this. I now know where my organizational skills have gone. I have been looking for them for months. Lol. Is there a cure to balance the two...
I do so enjoy the attention you give your photos before simply posting them. Have a great week!! Linda
well, you know.
I find the more I get lost in Creativity, the more disconnected I become with the world. I struggle to find a balance at times, so yes. I am very disorganized. very.
great entry!
first let me say I'm sorry for not getting back to you here. As for my organization well that has been taken up by being on line looking for affordable housing for my sister and her son. She's in the middle of a messy divorce and her house is being sold and theres lots of emotional disorganization going around here.My housework is way behind and the only time I get to myself these days is going to the local YMCA where I walk, swim and work with some small weights and that helps relieve some of the stress. Soooo disorganized is my world right now and my "journal" is on the back burner and my creativity so to speak is non-existent!! Although I did have fun with my grandaughter's science project she had to do a board with essays and pics of tornados. I feel like a tornado hit my house and I have to start picking up the pieces of that mess here. Coy, as usual you always hit the nail on the head!! thanks for the reality check!! You give me food for thought!!
Now whoever wrote that book is indeed brilliant! I couln't have said it better myself! Actually, I wouldn't have said it at all because I had NO IDEA exactly what it was that made me so reluctant to keep regular updates in my journal OR what REALLY took so much time out of my day when I do decide to update it. This makes perfect sense! I always always ALWAYS spend so much more time doing entries than I should. And given that I've been doing them for almost 2 years now (I think) there's no reason I shouldn't be able to whip one out, graphics included, in 20 minutes or less. But it never happens that way no matter how hard I press myself.
Thanks baby. Mystery solved! Well now I guess the next question is: what can we do about it? Hmmmm. Great entry!
Much Love,
Gregg
http://journals.aol.com/goldenchildnc/GCS
I read this on the 9th but was far too busy and disorganized with my time to comment until now ~ does that answer your question? :)
I think the act of creation, be it written, painted, woven or what-have-you, requires so much focus, time and attention that it does, in fact, wreak havoc with the demands of daily chores and responsibilities. Attention, in particular, always seems to be elsewhere. Some very creative and successful people manage their time extemely well, however, by adhering to strict schedules. I admire their determination and self-control.
omg I am supposed to be creative??
I've never thought about it.. I set a schedule around my call times at work, and if I have other things to accomplish, I do what I can. if not, tomorrow is another day.
If you can, I have a show at Sleuth's on May 31.. are you in town that nite?
Drop me a mail.
M
Post a Comment