Oh, hi friends!
Is something in the air?
I didn't want to say that, because I don't want to attune you to it if you don't already sense it, but I also don't want to pretend that I don't sense it, and keep sending you these little notes of encouragement.
But I don't feel very encouraging right now!
And this happens — of course this happens. And then the tide picks up and we're on our way again.
After not-writing for much of yesterday, I went downstairs to clean my bike. It's been in the basement and was dusty all over.
I wiped down the handlebars and the frame and the seat. I inflated the tires. I hadn't taken out the bike in months because I was certain one of the tubes had a leak or a tear or a tiny slice that made it slowly deflate, and I didn't want to get stuck miles from home with a soggy tire.
After cleaning it up, I toodled around a few blocks in the neighborhood and everything was working. The tires were actually…fine?
As I was gliding home, I thought, "Why didn't I take out the bike earlier? Why did I imagine something was broken when it wasn't?"
A joy and curse of experiencing good theater and films and music is that you are constantly reminded of what already exists, what doesn't work, and — critically — what does work, and the effort required to make it sing just so.
We all want our work to be good. But more than that, I think, we want it to be alive.
Maybe that is where we can land, for today.
Not aiming at good or great or exceptional, but at giving the smallest something a bit of new life.
Let that be enough.
Something is definitely in the area. Sluggish and zero motivation all week on pretty simple tasks. Grateful to not be alone in this! (I'm gonna blame the weather. :)
I am struggling with that too with a difficult collaborator I just expressed my feelings to - thank you as always, Kara.