I’ve read a few things recently about how creative people, and everyone really, need downtime to re-charge.
I feel like I get the illustration of lack of downtime every semester, when I think oh, I’m going to re-vamp this course, and I have all these creative ideas … and then, in the rush to get it done, I tweak, and do things more like the same old way.
The last few years I have just gotten busier and busier. Thanks, Mr. Governor, yes, I have been regularly teaching one more class. I always work on the weekends, and almost every evening during the week. And, somehow, the more I do at work, the more I feel passed over for the younger [smarter?] ones.
No cookbook offers after 8 years of writing this blog – thos definitely go to the younger, cuter, ones.
I think over-busy-ness makes me less creative – it’s certainly making me less happy. And I’m getting old. Am I really going to set the world on fire at this late date? I might only be around for another 30 years or so. Can I still become a grande dame of cookbook writing at this age??
I think I’m blogging less – I know I’m taking photos and posting recipes less.
And, well, this is not architecture – less is not more. Thanks, Mr. Van der Rohe. Who’s a 3/27 brother – didn’t know that till just now. After all the photos of his buildings that I cataloged when I lived in Chicago … but then again, when I was an art history major, they taught me to look at the work, not the artist’s life.
Yesterday, I started working on menus for three Sunday suppers at Dinner at DebS – but I didn’t get very far. I think sometimes I make myself more busy, by making myself feel like, I only have this one window of time in which to produce something – and feeling guilty when I don’t make it. I guess I should give myself more space.
Well, I got all my tax stuff together today, to take to the accountant tomorrow. I made a full English breakfast. I washed my hair. I fed the cats and scooped the litter. I unloaded the dishwasher. I graded 2 or 3 students’ quizzes, and one journal, and emailed a realtor, to set plans in motion to sell the supper club house. I did a little work email, although I didn’t get the raft of professional association emails that need to be sent. Oh, well, I guess there’s always Monday, right? And, oh yea, I made a loaf of semolina bread too – the recipe needs perfecting – the dough was too wet – but it’s completely edible, even like this.
Notwithstanding all that, I think the new recipe has to be not to think about how much I’ve done, and how much I have to do, but look for little chances, to stare out the window, and do nothing.
Semolina bread, first try
