Finding that elusive spark
Oh, hi friends!
You know the feeling when a great song comes on and the world outside seems to bend to its will? Everything flows, everything dances, everything almost…sparkles.
I feel like people can do that for you, too.
When you have a really wonderful chat or you feel understood or connected, there's a generative effect. The world starts to sparkle a little bit.
A solid work day (whatever that means to you) can provide that feeling, too. Shipping work creates sparks.
The trick is remembering who—and what—gives you that feeling, and dipping back in whenever you can. I guarantee the sparks will still be there.
“When I’m writing the way I want, the way I love, which is without thinking about what I’m writing, a strange thing happens: I feel simultaneously the most myself I could possibly be, and at the same time totally relieved of self.
I become, I guess, a version of myself that isn’t filtered through the detritus and clutter of experiences. We can’t control so much of what happens to us in life. Even our own actions unfold in time in ways we can’t possibly imagine. But there is someone inside who remains untouched by all of that. That person may not really exist in the light, but she is there, waiting, in the dark.”
—Kathryn Harrison
Light the Dark: Writers on Creativity, Inspiration, and the Artistic Process is full of gems like these from writers I knew and many I didn't—a nice gift for the writer/artist/creator in your life!
The Shape of Water is a magical movie. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a masterful one. Highly recommend both during the holidays!
But the biggest revelation during my little movie binge was how helpful it was to have a endpoint to my work day. Working from home blurs the boundary between Work and Life. Going to a 7 p.m. film was a wonderful hard stop to work that can feel never-ending. (Plus, using Moviepass makes the films essentially free!!! Or, like, three bucks each.)
Do you have stopping points or pillars that provide you structure? I'd love to hear them.
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara