The Minimalist
Guest Desk Time.
Here we have our friend, Jude. Or, as we tease in the Comments field, Nidrah. :-)
Jude, as you can see, is a MINIMALIST, right down to his hair, or lack of--which is a great look!! (Very handsome, Jude.)
Jude doesn't like clutter. And this is the space he writes in. He is a minimalist.
Which started me thinking about the world of distractions. I write in clutter. I write with four kids underfoot. I write with a life in chaos. BUT . . . I cannot write with music with words playing in the background. I cannot write if I have a very bad personal problem going on or am emotionally distraught. That doesn't happen often, but I say that only to point out writing isn't an escape from that for me. My personal life will loom too much to allow writing.
I can't write when I'm mad.
I can't write when I am nervous about something.
I guess, in short, I am an emotional minimalist.
We all, every one of us, have things that are distractions, that, if we are to write successfully, we have to watch for. Universalizing it, if we're to LIVE successfully, we must watch out for. For some it's clutter. For some it's kids or noise; for some it's the lure of television or the fridge.
So what is your minimalist area? What must you guard against in terms of distractions?
posted by Erica Orloff at 10:34 AM
14 Comments:
The damned Internet. It's a gift and a curse both. I can't write for five minutes without wanting to check email. When we moved, we didn't have Internet access in the house for 10 long days! It was driving me insane but at the same time, I wrote 5K words in one night! Bang!
But I can write through a hurricane. Blame that on my background as a newspaper journalist. I can tune out anything and everything around me.
Karm:
My God . . . I can't believe I didn't list email, my blog, the Internet, as my biggest distraction. I guess it's because if I listed them, I might have to think about giving them up, and i can't!!!!!!!!! WAHHH!!
E
Ahhhh, our Jude is so cute. =)
Distractions? Oy! I have to admit, my biggest obstacle to creation is my mind itself. I have to fight for the mental space more so than what surrounds me physically.
In my dayjob, I work with the arts council, and while I only work 24 hours per week, the mental zoo within takes up a good deal of "space" and it's hard sometimes to push the world of arts policy, advocacy, and politics out of the mind and make room for creative space. Ironic, just a tad.
Thus, I usually allow myself to get caught up in the dayjob mindset Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning I begin to tune out everything so that by Thursday I am able to create with a clear mind and enjoy the rest of the writing week. It's messed up, I know. But, this is what works, thus far.
The co-workers have already recognized... if you want a compelling, argumentative opinion from me, get it on Mon or Tues. If you want me to shrug and go with the flow, ask me Weds. =)
Mind you, it works both ways. There has been many a Monday morning where I've been in a political meeting and looked across the table, and wondered "how would my villain torture you???" But, such is the way when you have more than one persona floating around in your head. Ha!
Lori:
I hear you . . . daydreaming or lack of focus is a problem for me. So it the Solitaire game on my laptop.
:-)
E
I, too, get distracted by things that are bothering me emotionally. I even sometimes take an entire day that I call "slay my demons" day to deal with whatever issue is stealing my creativity.
But on a daily basis, the biggest distractions for me are blogs, email, the Internet and iTunes. I've often resorted to disabling my internal wireless so I can't be tempted!
Louise
Good to know I'm not the only hair-challenged person posting here :)
Writing distractions for me include:
- my children
- my wife
- anything I can connect to on the network (email, blogs, web sites, instant messaging, my server farm, etc.)
- my mind telling me I can't write
- my mind telling me I have nothing to write
I usually have to have music playing to write. It can have words, or be instrumental. As long as there is some sound happening. I have tinnitus fairly bad. Well, I think it is bad. It has been known to keep me awake at night. So, anything to distract me from it is welcome.
All I really need is to start writing and get into the zone... and then I just forget about the outside world for a while. That's the best part.
Brian:
Here's to the follicle-challenged. ;-) Frankly, I love bald men. Jason Statham remains my fave "eye candy" movie actor. :-)
What you posted is so true. When we transcend the distractions, getting to "that place," that zone, is like a drug.
E
The photo was taken about a year ago. I've lost a little hair since then. :)
Your blog is my new and lovely distraction, Erica. Thank you!
Jude
Hi Jude:
Thanks. I don't know that I've ever been called a distraction before. :-)
E
P.S. I have, however, been called, according to my oldest child, "dorky."
Other possible names for the band:
* Tripe
* Ten Hour Priapism (I stole this one from Konrath)
* They Might Be Testicles
Any other ideas?
Jude:
How abotu Great Balls of Fire. :-)
E
Ouch!
Here's some more:
* After The Splatter ( an inside reference to THE ROOFER that will have DJs guessing "what does it mean?" When played backwards our records will have cryptic messages like "a day without larceny is like a day without sunshine" and "if you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough").
* Erica Orloff with special guests Ewoh and Nidrah ("special" here having the same connotation as when used in "special education").
* Sunshine Barr and the Eunochs (featuring the #1 smash hits "Rusty Razor" and "Jagged Incision").
:)
Jude:
What a way to start my day. Forget "Walking on Sunshine." We'd have "Chopping up Bodies."
E
"...and it sure feels GOOD."
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