prattling on about making time

[spacebug]

This morning, I started thinking about how I spend my mornings. And thinking about my mornings led to thinking about how I spend my time in general. This line of thinking has also been spawned by things we talk about at work, and how we urge creative people to learn how to best make use of their time to get the things done what need doin'.

Lately, I've been spending literally the last available minute possible in the mornings curled up in bed. (This week I'm also operating on a self-perpetuating lack of sleep, due to a combination of Fun Things I Don't Want to Miss, like friends in from out of town. There was also that earlyearly jaunt to the airport immediately following staying out too late at Goth Prom. So... this week get off to a great start as far as sleep goes.)

When I actually force myself to get out of bed early enough to spend more time with myself, I find I enjoy it a whole lot. Extra time in the morning to wake up, drink coffee, journal, shower, do some yoga, whatever. I started thinking about how I've been wanting to make more time for myself to work on music. If I get into a habit, a pattern, a set time, I know myself well enough that I can make myself stick to it... except that I am a total extroverted sucker for social interaction. I Hate To Miss Fun Things. So if I try to schedule music time at a time when other things that are much easier to do, like movies or dinners or games or parties or whatever, I will abandon the best laid plans to work.

For ever and ever, I've held the belief that I was such a night owl. I still think that I am, naturally, that if not for the constraints of my work week I'd get up and stay up much later. But last night, as I started getting sleepy while hanging out with friends, I realized... that getting sleepy late at night is something that, now that, I don't know. I'm old? I'm not in college anymore? I have a steady office job? happens to me *consistently*, unless I've gotten enough sleep or know that I will get enough sleep the next day. It didn't used to. So I no longer really have any idea when the best time for me to set aside time to work is, because the time I thought of forever as the best time for me to work... just isn't. I can't work well if I'm tired or if I'd rather be out partying. Or hungry. (I'm *always* hungry and I rarely have easy food around, and I will sit and get grumpy and not do ANYTHING until I eat. And I often make myself believe I have to leave the house to do that- often it's true but not always. And then I don't have a car to go to the store. And then I wait for S4. And then other plans get made for Fun Things I Don't Want To Miss. You get the idea.)

So. Anyway. I though about running a test for a week, of getting up extra early, and seeing what happens. Before I go to work, I enjoy being alone, I'm definitely not missing any fun social events, I'm as rested as I will be until Saturday once I heave myself out of bed, and I'm not insatiably hungry yet.

This isn't completely without precedent, as I used to get up early and spend some time reading or journalling at the coffee shop in the mornings.

If I can make myself get up and if I actually can feel creative at this time of day, this could be interesting.


I know a lot of y'all are creative people, and I know a lot of creative people struggle with making time to do their thing, whatever it is.
I'm interested.

How do you use time?

Comments

[sarendipatree.livejournal.com]

How do you use time?

Pretty poorly. Although I've been trying to get better lately.

Sorry about gettting older. Its happening to me too. My best creative time is stil 10:30pm to 3am, but I'm finding that I like the morning slightly better. Having good morning light really helps me wake up.

Thanks for the inspirational, thought-provoking post.

I'm really glad we're still friends despite Having Been Through Some Stuff.

[omaha.livejournal.com]

How do you use time?

Pretty poorly. Although I've been trying to get better lately.

hey! you stole *my line!

(instead of telling zhac that's what i was gonna say, i shoulda said it!)

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Having good morning light really helps me wake up.
Me too. Unfortunately, good light of any kind is a premium in our apartment. And my studio has none 'tall, no matter the time...

I'm really glad we're still friends despite Having Been Through Some Stuff.
Indeed! And Z too. (Though I include countless good times in with the ick when I think of Stuff, too.) Fortunately for us and anyone around us, I think we've grown up a lot and have generally become happier people than we were in '98.

[sarendipatree.livejournal.com]

Ferreal.

[omaha.livejournal.com]

time for a light pipe?

[dangerdhotrod.livejournal.com]

it seems i can't do creative things by myself so i make a schedule of things i do with other people. like having band practice monday nights is great. i keep wanting to make some more music on my own too but whenever i plug everything in all the sudden i'm totally blank. i know that if another person came over and plugged stuff in i'd start responding off of that and it would be super excited. so that's my answer. if you can't do it on your own don't force yourself. want to start a band hehe?

i keep trying to get up early and stretch but i'm so into sleeping with my face on the pillow that it is really hard to get up! i started not using an alarm clock for awhile and it seemed to get me up earlier like the clock is a tricky thing. maybe try to not use a clock to solve your time troubles!