Do something creative today

Your link to join my Google Meet session – plus, imagination maintenance.

Sometimes the wisest thing you can do is to relax under some orange trees

I got back last night from a week in Crete. It was a holiday, and it was perfect.

This kind of holiday is a privilege; it involves doing almost nothing (difficult if you’re responsible for looking after somebody) in a beautiful, sunny location (not cheap, even off-season). That said, I know people who could do almost nothing in a beautiful place for a week and choose not to. They feel that there’s something wasteful and even morally dodgy about sleeping a lot, then shuffling to a sun-lounger and reading a book for a while, then having lunch and a beer and falling asleep again.

No. This too can be living. My week of almost nothing has been transformative. (I did go to the stunning Botanical Garden of Crete, where I met that sweet donkey. I hiked up and down a hill of orange trees, prickly pears, figs and lime-green lizards, and I ate tzatziki and a fine pastry parcel of cheese and thyme on the terrace at the top, and it was paradise.)

The money I spent (mostly on flights and taxis) and the money I didn’t earn during that period are not insignificant to me, but I strongly feel that if any non-critical thing is worth spending cash on, it’s this kind of holiday. To think deeply and in an unfettered way, we need to refresh our brains with extended, pleasant, unstructured – sometimes even boring – downtime. Don’t fight it. It’s imagination maintenance.

I haven’t felt this inspired or enthusiastic for almost a year. I’ve also been feeling happy and upbeat now for five days solid. I’m excited to get back to work. Last night I dreamt an idea for a piece of writing, and I’m going to try it in this afternoon’s Creative Hour. It felt fantastic to power down, and now it feels wonderful to switch back on.

I’m looking forward to seeing some of you on Google Meet at 5pm UK time today (timezone converter here) for an hour of silent writing. If you haven’t attended a Creative Hour before, it’s a get-together for paying subscribers online. We say hello and have a brief chat, then write together in companionable silence for fifty minutes. It’s a small act of solidarity, an opportunity to get to know other writers, and a lovely, uplifting way to end the week.

It would be great to hear what you plan to work on – let me know in the comments.

The schedule:

5pm GMT: Click the link below to open Google Meet.

I’d love you to switch your camera on for the first few minutes while we settle in, and keep it on throughout the hour if you can bear it (it adds to the feeling that we’re all working side by side). As for microphones, we’ll follow a general rule of staying on mute, but unmuting when we want to speak. Please chime in during the chats at the beginning and end – I’d love to hear from you.

5.05-ish: Writing time. If you’re running late, you’re welcome to slip in whenever, but don’t be offended if we don’t say hello. As for what to write – it’s totally up to you. Pick up a project that you’ve been neglecting, start something new, or if you’re stuck for inspiration, do some journalling or write a letter.

5.55-ish: We’ll return to wrap up the hour and reflect on how it went.

6pm: Say goodbye, and feel pleased with yourself for the rest of the day.

The link: