You hit your deadline, so now what?
Oh, hi friends!
My note yesterday about rushing towards a deadline sparked some conversations, and after (just barely!!) hitting a deadline last night at 9pm, I’m back to wondering…what’s next?
The rush of the finish, the high of making something, that new sensation of, oh, what’s that? Freedom?
You earn the break and then you take the break and then you wonder why you’re drifting again.
Or maybe that’s just me.
But that one deadline is usually never final-final.
Yes, I submitted something yesterday…but that project is actually 10% done.
You might hand in your book manuscript, but edits will be coming your way soon.
Your job search is over and you’re starting a new gig on Monday, but now you have to learn all about the new gig.
This might sound scary, but this is objectively good.
Motion is everything.
The value isn’t in knocking something off the list. It’s in knowing you’ve moved closer to somewhere you’ve never been.
The deadline drives you.
Where to next?
“Protect your inspiration. Protect your ability to be inspired.”
From the new-ish book How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy.
Even though I don’t think I can name a single Wilco song (!!), I’m inspired by his enthusiasm for the creative process. It’s all there in the subtitle of the book: Loving the Things We Create and How They Love Us Back. Ah yes, we don’t have to resent the things we make! We can love them, too!
If You’re Having Trouble Typing
Film and TV have romanticized typewriters forever. (As they should!) Here’s a wonderful supercut of a lot of typing, it’ll make you get up — or sit down — and get started. (Thanks to Julie Bestry for bringing to my attention!)
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You can also support my work by checking out my new motivational journal, Do It For Yourself, designed to guide you through your creative and work projects.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara