Incubation

[cathschaffstump]

Not just another word for procrastination, yesterday was an incubation day. I sat down to write, and instead I felt a churning at the back of my head that usually is my sign to take the day and work on something else creative while other things suss themselves out.

So, yesterday I sewed (a lot!) and let things stew. After I'm done on the computer today, I'll write a little bit, see where yesterday got me to.

Do any of you do this?

Catherine

Comments

[dedbutdrmng.livejournal.com]

I spend time staring blankly at the ceiling while things stew over. Then at some point they seem to reach a critical mass and then writing them down is easy and fun.

It's quite different from my other two states of either putting it off cos I don't want to write the dull bit or being too ill to think in any coherent way.

[sonyamsipes.livejournal.com]

Yepper, I do exactly that - only sometimes its sewing, and other times its beading or some other crafty thing.

I don't read then though ifI canhelp it -- because reading can be death for me -- I get all entrenchedin a book, then it turns on my desire to read more and... then I read another and a nother and all of a sudden a couple of weeks has gone by, and no writing.

[sonyamsipes.livejournal.com]

eGad! I wish I would have proofread that before posting! :-P

[scieppan.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, definitely. I am getting in the mode of trying to at least write a little bit when I feel like this (even a paragraph or two makes me feel better) but I think it's wise to follow the flow of the creative cycle. Sometimes you have to let the brain lie fallow for a day or two (or a month or two!).

[kara-gnome.livejournal.com]

No, though I think it works out this way :). I'll intend to get a lot of work done, end up wasting a lot of time on the blogosphere and writing pms and emails, and the day is gone! But it always seems like a get a lot of work done the next day, so it does seem that things are percolating even so.

No but........

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I teach during the year and teaching in a way helps me recharge my batteries for writing.