Friday, April 20, 2012

Learning to Work In “Creative Time Capsules” to Improve My Time Management and Creative Productivity!

My job has been so very demanding of late due to our organization going through some challenging transitions and funding issues.  With that said, I have been trying to focus and use my personal time strategically to  maintain my commitment and sustained movement toward healthy living…including daily cooking and exercise ( that is going very well)…and making time to focus on the different elements of my 2012…creative and  retiring refired goals ( sometimes not going so well):

ü      Develop the curriculum and samples for my creative arts school opening

ü      Work on my Pammagination Exhibit/Installation

ü      Do research and work on my book manuscript

I have taken and enjoyed much pride in spending creative hours abandon in my Pammagination….my creative zone!  I had convinced myself that I need and that I am most creative only when I can spend unbridled hours in my Pammagination.  Certainly, being able to hang out in Pammagination rocks!   It is this fact has provided me justification for my frustration with the reality that I am not able to reside in my Pammagination for endless hours whenever I want. 

But lately, I‘ve recognized that I have been, kind of whiny (okay, very whiny), short-sighted and limiting my to visits to my Pammagination using the excuse of having to work “my real job.  I am forced to admit, I had become so overly obsessed and anxious about wanting to retire and fully immerse my self in my creative pursues, that it had began to stagnate me….feed procrastination.

However, after reflection, I have to acknowledge that I have been using this frustration as an excuse for not making the best use of the time I do have right now to be creative.  I have used this frustration as an excuse for periods of procrastination, stagnation and the poor management of the small pockets of time I could use creatively. Yes, it has become crystal clear that  I even avoid  starting to work on a creative project because once started I really resent having to stop…so I don’t start at all…that is so silly, wasteful and non productive right?  Additionally in the past, If and when I did start a project and had to stop before I really want to, I would not only become resentful, upon returning to the project I would discover that I had forgotten where I left off and thus couldn’t easily reconnect to my “flow”.   As a result, the project gets table for a long period of time until my “flow” resurfaces.  So what I have learned from my reflection and since I probably won’t be retiring in the very near future, I needed to problem-solve around the following two areas:   

1. Increasing my productive by learning to better use and management my creative time in smaller and controlled allotments, and

2.  Start Artist Journaling.  Although, I was told to do this by all my Fiber Arts Certificate Program instructors, I have always resisted the idea of keeping an artist journal while working on projects.  Just thought it would impede my “flow”.  But, now I see the benefits of maintaining an artist project journal and how it will preserve and improve the “flow” of my projects, while helping me to manage and maximize my creative time better. 

So with that said,  I have begun to develop “itineraries” for taking short trips to my Pammagination!!  I am developing and committing to what I call “Creative Time Capsules”.    These “capsules” will allow for 30min to 2 hours periods of creative time, where I spend ¾ of the time creating and ¼ of the time journaling.

So far I have set up 4 general journals.  Two on my computer for my book manuscript stuff and school curriculum (my business plan is already in a separate file) and two binders: one for my Pammagination Exhibit projects and one for my school samples and pattern design projects.

Then today!  I bought a new book with my latest JoAnn’s 50% off coupon.  Once I began to read it, it confirmed for me that I am going about my problem solving in the right way! Plus it has a lot more great  ideas and information!!!  It has been a good and productive week!!!   I am so excited and confident that I will be much more productive in the future….Yay!!!!  No more whining (I promise… crossing my fingers...lol) but, I am still very, very anxious to retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL!!!  However, until then …CREATIVE TIME CAPSULES it is!!!!!!!!!!!!  Moving Forward>>>>>>>>>>>>>!!!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment