Writing and relaxation

Yes, they're linked, but which one leads to the other?

My brain feels like it’s full of birds at the moment

Paying subscribers can hear me read this newsletter aloud, here or on your podcast player.

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Before I get to today’s newsletter: the next In Writing Creative Hour will be on Sunday 16 April at 5pm London time (9am PST).

If you haven’t come along before, the Creative Hour is a Google Meet get-together for paying subscribers that I host a couple of Sundays a month. We meet online, have a chat, and then write for the best part of an hour in companionable silence; think of it as a virtual library environment, just with more moral support from your In Writing community. It’s a very nice way to get some work done at the weekend.

If you’d like to join us, do upgrade your membership (if you haven’t already) and look out for an email first thing on 16 April, when I’ll send the link.

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I really loved Mason Currey’s newsletter this week. If you don’t already subscribe, I highly recommend it:

Three tales of creative slowness

There was a particular quote Mason included that stuck with me, from painter Celia Paul’s Letters to Gwen John; Paul is talking about explaining her work to non-artists.

I couldn’t explain to most of them what my work involved. When I told one of them that I was a painter, she said, “That must be very relaxing.” . . . I felt only shame. How could I excuse myself by saying that I often lay curled up on the floor of my studio, just thinking and planning and trying to quiet my soul, until I was focused enough to start work? If I didn’t feel still, I couldn’t paint.

Thinking about this, I remembered that I was once in a professional team-building context where me and my colleagues were asked to go around the room, and each share what makes us feel inspired. I went first and said, ‘Travelling and being on holiday,’ which is true. It’s when I’m relaxed and out in the world that I start having ideas – I feel a sort of unfurling in my brain. Anyway, then the exercise continued around the room, and everyone else said things like, ‘I feel most inspired when working as part of a team,’ and ‘I feel most inspired when thinking about the company’s digital strategy.’ I realised I’d missed the point of the exercise, which was to suck up to my boss.

I don’t find my work relaxing. I’m not sure whether anyone who takes their work seriously would say it’s relaxing. Writing can be comforting, or satisfying, but for me, it’s always stimulating.

In fact recently, feeling (as I mentioned in the last newsletter) a bit tired and frazzled after an exciting start to the year, I’ve noticed that within minutes of sitting down to work or reply to emails, I tense up. Straightforward day-to-day work feels deeply unappealing. Working on my book is more appealing, but unfortunately less urgent right now, deadline-wise. I don’t even particularly want to read other people’s work at the moment.

I don’t lie on the floor when this happens, but I do understand what Paul is referring to. Writing isn’t relaxing, but it does require some level of relaxation to do it – or perhaps that’s too strong a word. If your task is something creative (and I use that term broadly, because I think it could include things like working on a business idea or planning an event), you do need a certain looseness, and a clear-ish head. I am not in an idea-having, creative frame of mind right now, that’s all.

I also relate to Paul’s sense of shame. It feels shameful, sometimes, that creativity requires downtime. I feel embarrassed when I think of how many people earn a living doing difficult things that they just get on with, rain or shine, regardless of how they feel. But what can you do? Maybe those people need a good article or book to read, or a good painting to look at, when they come home.

I’m going away tomorrow, for a week, and I’m not going to work while I’m there. I’m sure that when I get back to the UK, I’ll feel looser and less preoccupied, and more energetic again, and hopefully will write a more interesting newsletter on my return.

In the meantime, I’ve just finished editing another episode of the podcast, which will be released on Friday morning – if you’re interested in writer-illustrators, or comics, you’ll love this one. (Although, how totally infuriating for someone to be able to move smoothly back and forth between writing and illustrating, when I’m struggling with doing just one of those things!) I hope you also caught my interview with the very funny, clever Geoff Dyer last week:

(Available on all good podcast players, not just Apple.)

If you’re new around here, please drop by the Let’s get acquainted post and introduce yourself in the comments – I love to hear about who you are and where in the world you’re joining us from.

I’m also looking forward to the In Writing Creative Hour on 16 April. Hearing from you about your latest projects, and how you’re persisting through the tricky parts, is another thing that always makes me feel inspired.

Good luck with your writing until then!