Creating in Low-Capacity Times
Emerging from my annual summer of white space, I finally realized why August can be a tricky month for me creatively. It has a similar texture to January in the sense that both months are preceded by intentional pauses. In December, I always take time off from my newsletter and the Slow Writing podcast, and with the holidays and school breaks, my daily rhythm is a bit different. July is similar. There are fewer holidays, but it’s a school break time for roughly five weeks.
Earlier this year, I remember noticing some creative energy stirring. Ideas were sprouting, and I carved out a little time to work, but it was not a month of true focus. January felt a little bit scattered, and that’s how August ended up feeling as well. It probably took me longer to realize what was afoot because on paper, August appears available. My son is back in school, so presumably, a writing routine would follow. Yet, like January, I found it difficult to commit to any one thing, or enjoy the structure I had in June, when I wrote almost every day and it felt easeful and fun.
In the future, I’ll plan accordingly for this sweltering, scattered month, and lean on these gentle strategies for creating in low-capacity times.
Name the season. Putting words to where you are is a good first step. Reframing whatever you’re going through as a season means it’s not a personal failure, but a normal (and temporary) period.
Reduce expectations. I talk about this a lot, but when life changes we need to shift our pace. That’s a quick path to burnout and disappointment. Lead with compassion, remove things from your list, and go from there.
Write small. Keep writing, but make it bite-sized. Try 10 minutes before bed, or writing one paragraph or three haiku. If longer sessions aren’t accessible, you can still have some “writing snacks” throughout the day.
Read for pleasure. I’m known for digging into research-heavy books because I can’t stop learning about all the things, however, in low-capacity times, I’m a huge advocate of reading for escapism. Whatever you love—mystery! romance! books that take place on cruise ships!—get lost.
Lower digital consumption. While you’re dialing up your paperback reading, think about dialing down anything digital (e-readers not included). If the social media app keeps you scrolling, makes you feel behind, or like you want to compare yourself to someone else, try deleting it for a little while.
