You made me take a deep breath while reading this. My body has been in a sort of boxing match for years, punches coming in randomly from all sides. And I’m wondering why my creativity feels a little weary at the moment... I kind of wish I could put my brain in a jar, like false teeth and have a spare one. Then I could water and feed the one in the jar, and let it rest, then switch back again. And the other brain might have a different set of creatives skills… Just imagine!
I am an intuitive healer, and I scream from the proverbial mountaintops all the time how “woo” practices such as LISTENING TO YOUR BODY (sorry, shouldn’t yell at you) being maligned and are therefore overlooked is actually a form of misogyny, because they are all intuitive practices, which are a feminine way of caring for yourself in the world. And it is usually women who champion them (and called witches and at one point were burned at the stake for). Anyway, thanks to you and Amie for always championing listening to your heart and body and for another beautiful essay.
Gauri, I had a note to mention you in this essay and I just completely forgot! If anyone's reading this comment and resonating, please follow Gauri who is a genius when it comes to caring for your nervous system.
Thank-you so much for this post. I've been tired AF lately, but, of course I have! Aside from the U.S. taking a horrible turn politically, I had to escape a wildfire, was displaced for three weeks and got into a car accident. If that's not permission to sit on the couch, I don't know what is.
I feel like such a dum dum. I needed this post James. ✨
I love reading your writing. Thanks for caring for Amie so well and being a lovely example for what it means to care for yourself WHILE being creative.
Read this while debating if I could keep going after waking up at 4am and feeling like I could barely think. I went back to sleep and had a good breakfast when I woke up.
Oh bless 🙌🏾 I didn't realize I needed to read these words. But the way my body and brain sighed in relief when we read them. I have been in hyper creative mode for the last 3 months and I'm finally in a break/rest period but I feel so anxious and down but I couldn't associate it with anything but I def burnt myself out without realizing it. She tired. But she didn't know she was tired until this. So much gratitude.
This is one of my favorite things you’ve written. I’m living in an era of rest and have made the most progress in all aspects of my life as a result. It’s so important to allow your physical body to recover. It holds so much. I hope you get rest and recovery! ❤️🩹
As an artist (painter/ illustrator) I felt this to my core! Some days are super productive and some others I'm just tired! I can't "produce Art" like I'm a freaking Art Factory!! So sometimes, the ones I just don't feel like painting or I feel like shit, I just let it go, rest, go on a walk, read.
This is so important! And I needed to hear it today. I'm working on my next project and today, 1000 or so words later I am SO tired. I feel like I've done a day's physical work. Which would be okay if I wasn't telling myself I shouldn't be tired. Being in denial of what it takes to create (for me, anyway) and how much support, rest and nourishment I need is so unhelpful but a trap I can fall into, especially when I see (online) other writers working like machines without seeming to need a lot of rest. Thanks for writing this James. And for the example of Amie looking after herself, which is inspirational.
I honestly think 99% of those supposed machine writers are faking it. Or else, they are on the road to burnout. There are some very very rare exceptions like Brandon Sanderson who can comfortably do 2-3000 words in a day. But even then, if you listen to him describe his day he spends a lot of time hanging with his family, playing videogames, and exercising.
Agree. I also think some writers are contrasted for three books a year so they have to treat it like a job and crank out the words, which perhaps can work if you don't have to do any other work for money. But even so, I don't think that would work for me. Some days 1000 words feels like walking on the flat, and some it feels like climbing a steep incline, depending on where in the WIP I am and what my creative energy levels are like, so to me being machine like doesn't feel like an option! And regardless, after my 1200 words, anything I do after that just makes the MS worse...
I'm so grateful for this essay 🥹
I don't know why recognising tiredness is so difficult for creatives, but this is so real
I think art can be a great escape from pain or discomfort, which is awesome, but maybe it contributes...
You made me take a deep breath while reading this. My body has been in a sort of boxing match for years, punches coming in randomly from all sides. And I’m wondering why my creativity feels a little weary at the moment... I kind of wish I could put my brain in a jar, like false teeth and have a spare one. Then I could water and feed the one in the jar, and let it rest, then switch back again. And the other brain might have a different set of creatives skills… Just imagine!
Ha! I love that. Maybe AI can somehow invent brain in jar capabilities for us and stay away from our art!
Oh god!!! We’ll just plug ourselves in, like our phones… I like the brain in false teeth fluid image better! It’s far more amusing, don’t you think?!
I am an intuitive healer, and I scream from the proverbial mountaintops all the time how “woo” practices such as LISTENING TO YOUR BODY (sorry, shouldn’t yell at you) being maligned and are therefore overlooked is actually a form of misogyny, because they are all intuitive practices, which are a feminine way of caring for yourself in the world. And it is usually women who champion them (and called witches and at one point were burned at the stake for). Anyway, thanks to you and Amie for always championing listening to your heart and body and for another beautiful essay.
I FORGIVE YOU FOR YELLING. I think this season has been about me getting more in touch with my feminine energies so this makes a lot of sense to me.
This is my favourite James essay. x
Gauri, I had a note to mention you in this essay and I just completely forgot! If anyone's reading this comment and resonating, please follow Gauri who is a genius when it comes to caring for your nervous system.
You are VERY sweet. Thank you. x
Thank-you so much for this post. I've been tired AF lately, but, of course I have! Aside from the U.S. taking a horrible turn politically, I had to escape a wildfire, was displaced for three weeks and got into a car accident. If that's not permission to sit on the couch, I don't know what is.
I feel like such a dum dum. I needed this post James. ✨
I love reading your writing. Thanks for caring for Amie so well and being a lovely example for what it means to care for yourself WHILE being creative.
Caring for Amie is truly the best part of my "job"! Thank you for reading.
I can’t tell you how much I needed this today. Thank you
Thank you for reading, Sarah-Jane, I hope you found some rest today.
Read this while debating if I could keep going after waking up at 4am and feeling like I could barely think. I went back to sleep and had a good breakfast when I woke up.
So happy you went back to sleep! Can't make when you're shattered!
I'm scared to read this.
Carla, just know that it's okay to be tired!
You're so right. It's more about making time to be tired.
Oh bless 🙌🏾 I didn't realize I needed to read these words. But the way my body and brain sighed in relief when we read them. I have been in hyper creative mode for the last 3 months and I'm finally in a break/rest period but I feel so anxious and down but I couldn't associate it with anything but I def burnt myself out without realizing it. She tired. But she didn't know she was tired until this. So much gratitude.
Esty, I feel like you're like Amie here. She's always like "why am I tired"?? And I'm like, girl, look at what you've done the last 3 months...
This is one of my favorite things you’ve written. I’m living in an era of rest and have made the most progress in all aspects of my life as a result. It’s so important to allow your physical body to recover. It holds so much. I hope you get rest and recovery! ❤️🩹
You've also got to keep up that radiant glow you're famous for! I love that you're in your rest period. Let's send each other rest inspo!
As an artist (painter/ illustrator) I felt this to my core! Some days are super productive and some others I'm just tired! I can't "produce Art" like I'm a freaking Art Factory!! So sometimes, the ones I just don't feel like painting or I feel like shit, I just let it go, rest, go on a walk, read.
Yes! You are not an art factory! And even if you were an art factory, you'd still need to maintain the machinery!
This is so important! And I needed to hear it today. I'm working on my next project and today, 1000 or so words later I am SO tired. I feel like I've done a day's physical work. Which would be okay if I wasn't telling myself I shouldn't be tired. Being in denial of what it takes to create (for me, anyway) and how much support, rest and nourishment I need is so unhelpful but a trap I can fall into, especially when I see (online) other writers working like machines without seeming to need a lot of rest. Thanks for writing this James. And for the example of Amie looking after herself, which is inspirational.
I honestly think 99% of those supposed machine writers are faking it. Or else, they are on the road to burnout. There are some very very rare exceptions like Brandon Sanderson who can comfortably do 2-3000 words in a day. But even then, if you listen to him describe his day he spends a lot of time hanging with his family, playing videogames, and exercising.
Agree. I also think some writers are contrasted for three books a year so they have to treat it like a job and crank out the words, which perhaps can work if you don't have to do any other work for money. But even so, I don't think that would work for me. Some days 1000 words feels like walking on the flat, and some it feels like climbing a steep incline, depending on where in the WIP I am and what my creative energy levels are like, so to me being machine like doesn't feel like an option! And regardless, after my 1200 words, anything I do after that just makes the MS worse...
Got it in one. Thanks for the reminder, James.
I know you know!
James, your Substack essays are always a gift!
Howdie Bonnie! Thank you for reading!