Summer Slow Down
As I mentioned last month, I've given myself the gift of a shortened workweek this summer. Rather than a traditional vacation, I'm taking Fridays off until mid-September.
While I'm certainly motivated to rest and recover from my too-busy spring (and summer is the season for hiding indoors for those of us living in the desert!), the real reason for this decision is to elevate my productivity.
Because when we overcommit or overbook ourselves (or both!), a crucial piece of us winds up crumpled in the corner beneath all those obligations and appointments...
Don't get me wrong - a part of me thrives in my interactions with others, in jumping from one topic to the next and juggling complex ideas in my head. Those talents fuel my work!
But if that's all I do, I neglect a critical part of myself—the expansive, overarching, visionary part that guides my growth and evolution. That part can't do its job all crinkle-crushed in the corner. It needs to unfurl, to billow and broaden, and catch the wind of opportunity.
Giving myself this gift of idle hours is my way of inviting the muses, signaling, 'I'm here, I'm available, and I'm open to inspiration!'
The time won't be completely unstructured - I plan to seek out quiet places where I can join in the hush of forests, grasslands, or water. I intend to bring my hammock and sway with the birdsong, and I aspire to sleep under the open sky.
But wait! This is starting to sound suspiciously like a vacation... It's not a vacation, though. A vacation is an escape from everyday life, a chance to press pause, unplug, and reset. You go away on a vacation and come back to the realities of everyday life, which can be a tremendously wonderful experience, but it's not always the rest our mind needs.
By allowing myself regular doses of respite intermixed with my regular work life, I create the opportunity to weave together the tapestries of inspiration and industry, of vision and vocation.
Instead of escaping, I'm creating the conditions necessary for creativity. I'm carving out room for conversation and equipping myself with the means to design my horizon and envision the road ahead.
Creating Your Own Space For Creativity
Not everyone can take Fridays off all summer, but there are still ways you can carve out space for your creative spirit. Here are a few ideas to help you dig your visionary canvas out of the corner:
Create a Sacred Space: Transform a corner of your home or office as your creative sanctuary. Especially when it's 110º+ outside, an inside oasis can create space for the mind to unfurl. (I highly recommend a hammock chair!)
Schedule Creative Time: If your calendar rules your world, use it to your advantage by scheduling time to be "alternatively productive." Treat these appointments with the same importance as work meetings and give yourself a specific activity for the time—read some fiction, work on a puzzle, draw/paint/color—whatever works for you.
Connect with People: One of the greatest gifts I've given myself in the past few years is a commitment to meeting up with cool people. Even if it's just once a quarter, having a coffee or breakfast date with an interesting person without an agenda always creates new energy for me.
As we journey through this summer, I encourage you to find your own ways to create space for creativity. By prioritizing these moments, big or small, we nurture our visionary selves and navigate toward the future we seek. Let's unfurl our crumpled corners and let our creative spirits float and flutter—here's to a summer of rejuvenation, discovery, and boundless inspiration!