A barrage of information, and not all of it inspiring
Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear crises, wars around the world.

Friends I’ve never met struggling to support loved ones with life-threatening illnesses.

Here at home, we’re facing one of the most toxic election campaigns in our nation’s history, and possibly the most dismal voter turnout on record.

It’s a heavy dose of uninspiring information. If you’re not one to shrug off anything that doesn’t affect you directly, it’s overload.

Introverts and peace-seekers take heart
I came across a fantastic article in Psychology Today called “Revenge of the Introvert” (with thanks to Theresa Bazelli). I was skimming the piece when this caught my attention. “…introverts are not driven to seek big hits of positive emotional arousal—they’d rather find meaning than bliss…”

It was a remarkably freeing few words.

I’ve sometimes been accused of being too serious. That was usually a workplace occurrence, which is one of the reasons I no longer go to a “workplace.”

I was not put on this earth to be decorative. I’ll take meaning over pleasing any day of the week.

But meaning requires space to hear yourself think. We have precious little of that in our wired world, and since introverts like me need serious down time to recharge our batteries, it’s critical for us to manage the flood of information that comes flying at us on any given day.

Free yourself from social pressure and take time to recharge
Understanding how deep those needs can go is one of the best ways to free yourself from the pressure to be social. More important, and perhaps more freeing, is knowing how many people share our enjoyment of alone time. Far from being selfish—or shy—literally tuning out allows us to be at our best and most creative.

Whether you’re inclined towards introversion or live with someone who needs quiet time to stay on an even keel, I highly recommend taking a look at the article. It has some interesting information on how the brains of introverts and extraverts differ when processing information, as well as explaining some of the ways we can interact with colleagues and customers without burning ourselves out.

If you thrive on action but find you’re feeling a little overloaded, you will find some strategies for managing heavy social demands as well.

Smart communications strategies for any personality type
There’s a great article at The 99 Percent about setting boundaries and managing the onslaught of messages that make their way into your computer and voicemail. Surprisingly, there was anxiety after the invention of the Gutenberg press as people came to grips with a new reality—books. They managed, and we can, too, if we’re smart about it.

The premise here is simple. Set boundaries, let people know about your communications “rules of engagement” and commit to quality over quantity. Once again, it’s all about meaning. The article is called “Stop the Insanity: How To Crush Communication Overload.”

Thoughtful choices empower creativity
What it comes down to is choice. How much exposure you choose and how you process it. I don’t subscribe to a rose-coloured glasses philosophy. Shutting everything out might be the easiest thing to do, but that can lead you down some narrow paths. Good art doesn’t always happen there. It’s far better, I think, to know your limits and be clear about them, and to also respect the way you process information and the way you share it through your creative practice.

Happy Monday.

P.S. If I’m not here at the end of the week, it’s because I’ve unplugged to work on a Big Project and I need time to hear myself think. Following my own advice!

Let’s make a little art.

By a little, I mean 4539 square millimeters. Our rather, 51 by 89 millimeters.

The exercise is to create a portrait of your creative practice. If you like, you can make it a self-portrait.

Pick your material—wood, metal, paper, glass, cloth—and your method.

Weave it, write it, weld it.

Break out of the dimensions and come back again. An accordion book, chain of paper dolls or paper hearts. Stack elements together and fasten them with silk thread.

Incise, emboss, scorch or embroider the edges.

You might write a story.

Or maybe all you need is one word.

Your portrait could be strictly digital.

Whatever you do, don’t get pushy with it. Let the ideas have their way with you.

The power of play
If you’re familiar with the metric system, you might have had this figured out from the start. The dimensions are for a standard US business card. But if you saw the words business card, you might have boxed yourself in—become so preoccupied with results, with what you think your recipient expects to see—that you derail your creativity.

I could have included a link to some inspiring business card designs, but sometimes that backfires, too. You get so caught up with someone else’s great ideas, you become intimidated or just plain sidetracked and forget you’re portraying you, not someone else’s version of a great card.

It’s far better to have a little fun instead. To take a few parameters as a starting point and play, or get down to it and make some serious art, just as you would if you were making work for an exhibition.

Your business card is a memento
When you hand a potential client a business card, you can do far more than pass along your name and phone number. A business card is an object that fits into the palm of your hand. Its very size gives it the potential to create a moment of meaningful creative connection.

With a very small piece of art.

I’m not suggesting you start making hundreds of cards by hand. What I am saying is you shouldn’t get hung up on the baggage the word business brings with it.

You could make a limited edition set of cards for preferred clients and your most sought-after potential customers. You could do it on your birthday, or make a series by season. You could even create a series of portraits and post them on your website, or use them with notes on your creative process for your email newsletter.

A business portrait for your eyes only
You could make something that no one else will ever see, as a reminder of your commitment to your practice, or just for the sheer pleasure of looking at it. Your own Tarot card, a totem, a visual Note to Self, or the seed of an idea to pursue later.

You might also take a piece of that portrait, add your contact information, and send it to the printer.

It’s not necessary to actually do the exercise. The point is to generate ideas and get you to connect with your customers without thinking too hard about connecting with your customers. To show you that you don’t have to force it.

And if you already have a stunning business card, you’re way ahead of the game. So go play.

I’ve been having vivid dreams for weeks now.  As in, take-me-to-the-movies dreams, with wildly elaborate plot lines, detailed to the Nth degree.

You might think this is normal for a creative type, but it’s way over the top for me, and it does not make for restful sleep.

My subconscious is trying to tell me something.

I need a break from brain work. So last night I picked up a novel. As in, wizards and swords and assassins and psychic reptiles. Worked like a charm.

The grind of self-employment
Being self-employed means I have a hard time forgetting about work. Some people have a naturally-occurring Off switch, and some entrepreneurs have businesses that nearly run themselves, or staff that do the running. But if you’re a solo act, you don’t get that luxury, and if you have perfectionist tendencies, disengaging is difficult. But it’s necessary.

A little down time can work wonders for creativity.

It might simply be a matter of breaking your routine, or you might need to shift gears entirely. You might need to take a break from writing, for example, to dig in the garden, get a massage, or go skating, or bicycling, or sing show tunes at the top of your lungs in the shower.

Or you might need to just stop for a while.

Why you need to take care of you first
You might feel pressure to keep up your usual pace, but the thing is, you can’t give anyone your best if all you have left between your ears is stewed turnip (not that I’d know anything about that). Taking care of yourself gives you the energy to make good work. You can’t do that if you’re burned out. And if you burn yourself out, you might learn to hate your customers, and in turn, begin to hate what you do every day.

Being burned out also makes you more susceptible to throwing in the towel when things get tough.

Give yourself permission to step out of the studio for a day or two (or more, if that’s what you need). Give yourself permission to stop. Exhale, recharge. The urge to get back at it will come when it’s time.

Happy Holidays.

What’s your favourite gear-switching activity?