Down Time from the Digital Roar

Just after writing about the Digital Detox Week, I came across this interesting article in the Unclutterer blog echoing some of the same ideas I have been thinking about managing ones focus and creative time. Organizing the Creative Mind by guest blogger and author Scott Belsky. I love the title, even. Doesn't it sound so warm and encouraging? Yes, it is possible to organize the creative mind!



It seems he has a book as well, Making Ideas Happen, which also sounds worth finding.

He offers several observations about how you might "organize projects and manage your energy" to make your ideas happen.

This article is chock-full of inspiring ideas, but the one idea that really hit me, especially in regards to the Digital Detox Week, is how we have been conditioned to be "reactive" with our energy - responding to endless input - rather than proactive. To avoid getting sucked into the vortex of incoming emails, messages and other contact, he says,

some people schedule “windows of non-stimulation” in their day. For a 2-3 hour period of time, they minimize their email and all other sources of incoming communication. With this time, they focus on a list of goals – not their regular tasks, but long-term items that require research and deep thought

I am reminded of some kinds of meditation in which one sits quietly and quiets the mind so as to notice what ones deeper self might have to say. Who can hear the whispers of our soul beyond the shouting of the demands of our life?

The internet is endless stimulation of one sort or another. Expand that to include all digital devices, and it's clear many of us live thoroughly washed in a dull roar (or deafening shout!) of input. Who can hear quieter whispers beyond all that input? Not me.


Perhaps I am so smitten with this description because it seems to frame the unplugging as a respite from the onslaught. Unplugging for a while is not just a nice idea; it's necessary "down time."

I'm looking forward to pursing other projects that have nothing to do with the digital world. Maybe I will look about me with new eyes. Perhaps I will put my hands on real life projects, something with texture and heft and scent. Perhaps I will find mental space to think about deeper issues in my life. How is my life going? What new goals are pushing forward for attention? Perhaps I will take more naps and laze about on the couch. Sleep is always good.


Scott also writes about what he calls insecurity work, those "small repetitive actions don’t help you make ideas happen.....just help you feel safe." Yeah, I'll check email one more time, look for an update one more time. I can see how that would chew up lots of energy and time. It's likely that the smaller the distraction, the more ultimately time consuming it is because one doesn't even notice the minute bits of energy put into them. They add up without one even noticing.

My hope for unplugging includes being more aware of how I use my digital time. Am I just spinning my wheels? How much of what I do is actual productive time? When I'm conscious of what I am doing, I have to admit that much og what I do online amounts to nervous tics of faux productivity.


I'm still a little nervous about unplugging. What if something comes up that really needs my attention? What if somebody really needs to get my answer on something? What if I am overrun with emails while I am gone? What if my sister or friend needs me? What if...?

It's a good thing to notice, huh? What energy am I losing feeling anxious about keeping plugged in? I'm thinking that whatever it is that's landing in my inbox, certainly nobody is dying, or losing money or sleep over it, so I might as well let it go for a while.

I was just gifted with fresh strawberries. I'm think I'll start the week with pie.
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Things I am Loving This Week So Far

Ceasarinni bread, airy, chewy, eggy bread with a crust of seeds, like sitting down to breakfast in Italy.

Taking the time to bask in bright dappled sunlight + a cool breeze off the river.

Baby clothes neatly folded and organized.

Online touch typing lessons.

A freshly washed kitchen floor.

The crunch of sugar in the crust of a dessert muffin.

Snagging heirloom tomato seedlings, leading to high hopes for Summer gardening.

Little girl giving us ankle hugs.


"I'm a hugger, not a biter."

Punny humor.
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Digital Detox Week: Unplugging the Beast

Last week I ran across a suggestion organized by AdBusters: Unplug yourself from all your digital and internet devices for a Digital Detox Week. Sounds like something I could use more/less of so of course I promptly went back to evil FaceBook and forgot about it. Luckily, I had written it down in my calendar. It starts Monday, April 19th, 2010.


It's a "nice idea" but will it work? Is it possible? And more importantly, am I willing to make it happen??

I think it will work.

Taking a break from the way we usually do things can give us new perspective and fresh insight, a mental break. We don't even see our life as it is sometimes, so buried in the virtual world are we. The digital world has become the air we breathe. Taking a step back... nay, taking a huge step back will give room to get past the nattering of our mind - has anybody sent me an email/said something clever/done something shocking or newsworthy? - and see what our lives have become. There will be space to consider what we really want our lives to be like, rather than floating through our days trying to keep up with the flood of information and endless entertainment.

I think it is possible.

On those occasions that I have been backpacking and far in the wild (without a cellphone or iPod, of course!), I have found myself sinking into a more observant and meditative state. I renew my contact with my and the world's deepest cycles of eat sleep work breathe play. And I come back to my everyday light with new eyes and an appreciation of the principles and qualities of a life of clear and simple purpose. On those rare occasions that I am cut off from the internet, it can be refreshing to focus on other things. So unplugging for a week on purpose is likely to also give me a more observant and clear-eyed state.

I am willing to make it happen.

I tell myself I am. I know it will be good for me, BUT... Ha. The "but" is of no real consequence or substance. I am used to allowing myself a generous amount of disconnection through reading on the internet. I am a bit scared to unplug. I need some of that entertainment to distract and sooth myself. Perhaps that all the more reason to do it. Like going to bed at a reasonable hour, I can make it happen, if rarely. Somehow, I think this will be easier.

I think it needs to happen.

Notice that this is a question that I skipped right over as a given. Yes, yes, yes. It does need to happen. I get so caught in the digital world. Perpetually exciting and tantilizing with one more contact, one more piece of information, one more connection just out of reach. One more creation, one more sentence, one more distraction. One more thing taking me away from the equally important but often more neglected rest of my life.

. . .

I think I will have an easier time of it if I set myself some targets and can push myself past the initial resistance to take action.

It helps me is to set a target time to be off the computer or into bed.

It also helps to actually turn off or put my computer to sleep for the duration. If I don't turn it off, I am periodically tempted to mosey by and see what is going on, but once I click "Sleep," the big screen goes dark, and I'm forced to get up and walk away. Happily enough, once I submit to leaving it off, it loses some pull on me. I can avoid sitting down in front of the machine and am free to enjoy or focus on something else in the real world.

Of course, I don't have a job that requires use of the internet or computer. I don't have a palm pilot or any sort of fancy phone-camera-internet-pager device that keeps me tethered.

I don't have complete confidence that I will be able to restrain myself from checking email at least every so often, so I am prepared to give myself one timed online session a day. Maybe every other day. We shall see how I do.

I am hopeful, though, that once I accept my unplugged state, I can release my digital preoccupations and move on to other occupations.

It will be interesting to see what else I do that week!


It starts Monday, April 19th. Anybody else interested?
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Things I am Loving This Week

It's been a good week. It's been a good couple of weeks, even. Some things stand out.

Things I am Loving This Week Month

Dancing and moving within the dance/pattern of the community. Abandoning myself to the joy in the dance.

Smiling so much my face muscles hurt almost as as my feet.

Pale purple hyacinths, luxurious color, luxurious scent.

Being reminded of Mary Oliver poems.

A blustery hour when the chill wind contrasts with the warmth that has come before.

Cadbury milk chocolate Easter eggs.

Watching the little girl decide to try eating things like carrots and yellow squash, bok choy, even, for heaven sakes!

The sound the little girl makes when she's engaged with something she finds delightful - scrambled egg, soft fuzzy teddy bear, the cat's tail brushing by.


And a few more to keep up my morale while I recover from an injury.


Little girl Summer shirts.

Meeting hip neighbors in unexpected places.

Flannel pants in irresistibly cozy-cheerful prints.

Seeing slivers of baby molar break through.

Stealing "couple time" in the evening.

Vermont "roots" music and old-English harmonies.

Baby learning to make animal noises. Hoo!hoo! Oo-oo-oo-ah! Bzz! Muuuh.

Flamboyantly wine-colored sugar berry blossoms.

Seeing friends after a long time without contact: Out-of-state friend blowing into town for an evening. Comfortably hanging out with college friend and her family, playing with the kids. Dance friends including us in a pizza run for food, conversation and silliness.

House renovations creating views of space and light.

Humorous commiseration with Mom friend about ummm, life after baby. :)

Singing Here Comes The Sun as the morning light gets into our eyes.

Blowsy trees blooming pink and white, blowing petals across the yard in a rain storm.
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Learning How to Chastise Cats

We have squirt bottles stashed all around the house in case of cat misbehavior. Since the cats engage in all sorts of neurotic and passive-aggressive behavior when I am nursing or otherwise engaged with the little girl, she gets to see and hear a lot of cat chastisement. "Bacio, no!" "Stop, cat!" "Ouuut!" "Nooooo." Sometimes, "What a sweet boy he is, yes he is." but more often, "Stop, you blankity, blank!" (No, I don't actually say that one, but I think it a lot.)

This week, we've caught the baby playing with the squirt bottle several times. The little girl can't actually get her hands around the handle to manipulate the lever, but she does hold it up by the handle and say, "sst! sst!" Why yes, honey, that's exactly how you do it. lol!

We nearly fell out laughing the first time we saw this. I supposed I should be grateful that she hasn't learned to say, "G-d-D-mn Cat!" Shhhh. I'm keeping my mouth shut.
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Perfectionism and Reclaiming The Doing

Peculiar Momma aka Shaletann wrote an especially pertinent post about perfectionism recently, and boy, did I really need to read it today. She gave me much to think about.


Sometimes I get so jealous of people who accomplish great & beautiful things. Sometimes I'm more sad than jealous because I am not accomplishing those things. I'm not as wonderful/confident/accomplished... blahblahblah.

I "do" a lot of things, but as she said, I don't always feel I can "claim" them. As if we can't use the noun to describe what we are verbing?

I must be a cook because I DO COOK, but my standards of what I should be to claim it are absurd. I am a photographer, but I don't have a "serious" camera or sell prints or have won fame and acclaim. I still call myself a photographer. I heartily resist being shoehorned into someone else's ideal of what a label means.

Now, my own ideals are harder to live with. I am cursed with high standards. And of course, I can never live up to my high aspirations because there is always a higher ideal. All I can do is follow my joys and desires and Do The Thing, whatever that is.


Some of the things I actually DO:

Photograph, See, Capture

Cook

Keep track of my schedule

Find new ways to organize

Write, Read, Edit & Shape

Sew

Sing

Design

Create

Console, Welcome & Inspire

Think, Dream, Envision, Problem-solve

Love

Teach

Parent

Give

Hike

Plan

Notice & Identify Wildflowers & Wildbirds

Play, Breathe, Smile, Dance



I notice that some (but not all) people are contributing to the curse. If you say you are a ____ (fill in the blank), others may start asking if you have accomplished this or that to test you. And if you don't measure up to their standards, they ask you how you can be a _____.

They sometimes even get offended that you claim the label. "How can you be a ___? You don't even ___!" Perhaps we have even spent our formative years being told, "You are not a ___. Don't think you are so special." Holy cow, what does that say to a person's self?!

Listen, I don't say I do all of these things well, I just say I do them. As long as I write, I am a writer, no matter how purple the ink might get.

I'd like to be good at them, these lovely ideals, but why should I justify what (or for that matter, why) I do?


It's sad, though, that of my whole list above, only a few items are immune to my feeling the need to qualify or justify myself. I've been retraining myself to avoid my habitual self-deprecation, You fraud, you!. Now stop it, I tell myself. You are too!

I remind myself that the Doing is more important than the ideal. The doing justifies that I am Someone Who Does The Thing, yes? Even if I don't it well!

I love this quote from Shaletann :

This imperfect blanket is perfect for keeping my lap warm on chilly nights. Just as my messy house is a perfect shield against the rain and wind. Smooshed cupcakes still taste delectable and my scuffed shoes still protect my feet.

Why should our lives and our Doing be trapped in a cage of perfectionistic standards? That is not real life. Even nature's kernels of perfection are wrapped in chaos. We can spend our life's energy making beauty and striving towards perfection, and that is inspiring, but any so-called "perfection" is wrapped in a lot of imperfect Doing.

Shaletann points out that Perfection Doesn't [really] Exist. I would add, At least outside of our own heads. The inner perfectionist is all too ready to pounce on an imperfectly achieved doing. I'm already grumbling to myself about restructuring this post. And yet, and yet...

There is joy in the Doing. There is joy in the Having Done. There is joy in claiming that you are One Who Does. Thank you to Shaletann for reminding me.

And I am so happy to do the things I do. I am a photographer, a writer, a cook, a performer, a caring friend. Doing is delectable even if a little smooshed. Yum. What a delicious life!
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Things I'm Loving This Weekend

Several jars of homemade lentil stew all put away in the fridge.

Freshly washed hair in a loosely confined tousle at my neck.

A brisk sunny evening walk down the street.

Shalet's blog Peculiar Momma and her "for the love of color" posts.

Writing down all expenditures in approximately neat categories in the budget book.

Smells like Spring, somehow. Mud, mud, glorious mud!

Incremental kitchen rearranging.

My in-laws telling DH to encourage me to "keep taking pictures." Considering the source, that's as huge an acknowledgement as you could imagine. (heh. As if he could stop me.)

Anticipation of listening to a new music CD.

Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde,"playwright, poet, wit, raconteur, detective...," and choc full of plot, personality, and real/fake bon mots, not to mention the flamboyantly designed covers.

Naps.

Writer-gardener Frank Hyman's latest essay, Happiness is a Glass of Water, and this quote: "...a good portion of one's daily happiness can be derived from the small domestic pleasures of life."

A little girl who has learned to put herself back to sleep.
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