I spent Sunday afternoon at a large mall, so I could be more creative.
I don’t much like malls. Especially crowded ones, as this mall was. But after waking up one morning last week to find my bedsheet had a long rip down the center, which eventually became so wide the bedsheet was split in half, I decided to brave the crowds.
Besides, I needed to recharge my batteries. Much as I want to get things done, I also recognize the need to recharge. How can one recharge? The Artist’s Way At Work recommends taking a couple of hours every week to experience something creative. Alone.
How was the mall creative? I observed people and culture. I studied little knicknacks. I spent quite a lot of time in an Asian furniture store, and ended up buying a Japanese tea set and a piece of Chinese cork art. I stopped in the LEGO store and stood, agape, at the new
In other words, I consciously gave myself space to recharge my creative juices. And I do feel more creative.
Comments:
| Nik | Hmmmmm good idea to keep one’s mind away from work for a while. Also interesting about the LEGO sotre comment. Asian culture seems to be popping up everywhere these days. I keep wondering if this is just a long fad which will fizzle out in 5 or 10 years. O well, all good things must come to an end. |
| Lara | |
| Lara | Malls can be nice for thinking and wandering about. I don’t think that much of anyone would bat an eye at a person who came there just to sketch, or to take notes, or just to look. (Well. That didn’t work the first time.) |
| Shadrone | To recharge I often kill pixels. Other rare times I build something, or generally work with my hands on something that feels productive. |
| Animom | Free cell recharges me for some strange reason. |
| Animom | Stirring the creative juices!? Yep, sounds right. I remember a time when malls were well populated with plants and sun windows, but, sadly, that has changed. (Presumably because of vandalism, and the expense of it.) Possibly a walk in the woods would be just as refreshing and creative? |
| Brent | A walk in the woods definitely recharges me, but it was about 35 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, so that was out. |
| Anonymous | It was 35 degrees [Fahrenheit] today, and I forced myself to shape up for lacross season by jogging 2 miles, then afterwards doing running excercises |