Laziness, Flow State, and creative sparks
Oh, hi friends!
“Maybe it’s not that you’re lazy…maybe you just don’t like it.”
Gary Vaynerchuk said this a couple years ago and I’ve thought of it often.
Because it’s easy to ascribe laziness to something that’s not getting done.
It’s actually a fine cop-out. A little insult to yourself, a declaration of a trait you think you have. That explains it! I’m just lazy!
But his point was that sometimes it’s not about enthusiasm or energy or laziness…it's about not actually wanting to do the task in the first place.
And that’s a whole different game.
A few years ago, I told myself I had to pitch 5 story ideas every week on a few topics because I thought that's what my editors at the time wanted.
But when I found that task getting bumped every day, I had to actually ask myself: Do I even like coming up with these ideas? Do I like these stories? Do I like these outlets? Do I like writing them?
Oh. Turns out, I didn’t. And it wasn’t that I was lazy — it was that every week I was trying to muster up energy for something again and again that I shouldn’t have been pursuing in the first place.
I’ve heard about the same thing happening for job or fellowship applications, other opportunities, even hobbies.
Here’s the thing though. It’s OK if you don’t like it!
IT’S OK.
And once you admit that, you can move on to something you do like.
Is anything not allowed in Flow State?
Social media, calendars, watches, bosses, and people to whom you owe emails. Also: reading for pleasure, leisure, personal culpability, and any and all hygiene.
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I got a kick out of "FAQ: Your Visit to Flow State" on McSweeney’s, written by Erica Lies and my friend Caitlin Kunkel (who’s also the cofounder of the Satire & Humor Festival and is very good on Twitter, where we first met!).
Now I'm off to visit you-know-where.
My podcast consumption fell drastically last year (less running, more musical theater listening), but I’ve been enjoying The Spark File hosted by Laura Camien and Susan Blackwell. They define a “spark file” as a place where one consistently collects creative inspirations + fascinations. (What! That was the impetus for this newsletter!)
I particularly enjoyed the candor of their interviews with Jonathan Groff, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Sara Bareilles because they go deep into creative process. But I've found little sparks in all their episodes.
Do you have a notebook or file or place where you gather your creative tidbits? If not, could you find value in starting one?
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara