I’m not a fan of the cult of productivity, yet I’m constantly attracted to it. Being productive does matter to me, but I do think anyone with a creative process knows that doesn’t equal the same prescription of productivity for each person. Productivity is also very linked with capitalism, and the idea that we all must create an ever increasing output as a moral imperative. Instead of concentrating on how we do things better, we focus on how we can do things faster, how we can produce more. The more productive you are, the more output, the more output the more productive growth. Capitalist systems rely on this harmful cycle and it is ruining our planet. So you can see why I feel nervous or wary of the productivity cult, even when it's so irresistible in today's times.
Instead, what truly matters to me is being able to get into the state of flow, quickly. Flow is a state that is less about output, and more about process. If productivity is about the product (the outcome) flow is about the experience. It is through the experience that we grow and get better, not through the product.
Finding time to create as a young parent or any kind of caregiver is difficult. So much of your energy and thought is put into other people, which is a beautiful and tremendous experience. One of the difficult parts of that experience is that there become more obstacles to get in the way of getting into a creative flow, or creating. It’s not just whether you are sick that day, but whether the person/people you take care of are sick that day.
Creating is a priority for me, not just for work, but because it makes me feel alive. It connects me to myself and more broadly makes me feel connected to humanity. If I’m having a hard time, picking up any piece of paper that I can find and beginning to draw with ink takes me away from everything and into a world where there is no time, no designated outcome.
This time is important for me and for my work, it’s in this time that I grow as a creative. But knowing it’s a priority, is not enough to help me find flow. I’ve found that I need to prepare myself so that I can easily get into it.
I keep a list of what I want to create
I keep clear goals of what I want to create. If I have to hold in my head everything that I’d like to create, my head gets so full and I create nothing out of overwhelm. So instead I keep a list. I used to use a Google Sheet for this, a method I learned by the wonderful and very clever Sarah Schulweis of Anchor & Orbit. I now use Notion to do this, it’s a new tool and format but a similar process.
I keep a list of tasks I need to do to create that thing
I prepare myself for creating. I write down all of the steps I think I need to complete to create This includes small but important tasks like buying paint, buying knitting needles, downloading typefaces, ect. Those small tasks matter, because when I now find myself with five minutes spare I can quickly do one of those things, moving me closer to the actual creating. But I can’t complete them if I don’t have it in the front of my mind as something to be done.
I loosely plan my time
When I very loosely plan my week I will look at my goal and the tasks and then put in what’s most important for me that week. Time parameters can help with projects I want to create, but I don’t stick to them religiously. However, I don’t like to have 100 things to create on my list for that week, I cull it down to a few so that I don’t get overwhelmed.
I set up my space, and leave it ready for me
I’m fortunate enough to have a desk in a home studio, I realise this is not everyone’s set up. But I know that because my desk is always ready to go, pens and pencils right there, sketchbook, computer, the lot, I can get going. I also believe in leaving tabs open, and programmes open, though I still save before I leave. If I’m knee deep in an Illustrator file and have plans to work on it again in the near future, there is no chance I’m closing it. I want to log into my computer, flip to that tab, and be in the flow. On top of this, I have pens and paper and other creative supplies in every room of my house I spend time in, making it easy to pick things up.
I keep myself organised (mostly)
Keeping things organised matters too. I keep my Notion space organised, and when it gets unorganised, that becomes the next task. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I go back into the project and make sure the tasks are aligned to what I’m creating. I update what’s been done and what needs doing almost daily.
Now, when I find myself with a spare hour, or find myself on a Tuesday evening with a sleeping baby and the urge to create, I can hop into flow. Because I don’t waste time thinking about what I need to create, or want to create, or why I’m creating. That was all decided already, the decision is gone. Instead, I can get going, using less precious energy and thought. Whatever stage of the creative process I’m in, I’m ready to begin again.
This process is key for me as a new parent. Instead of trying to fight my schedule or spending time trying to find ‘enough time’ to create, I fit the creating in more freely.
