Welcome to Friday, the day where we pause at the end of a busy week to #ThinkCreateReflect!
Lately, I’ve had a hard time finding the time for fiction reading. I’m so busy reading or writing for work, or helping my kids with their school, that I don’t have a lot of time to read for pleasure, just for me. Partially that’s because I spend my free time doing other things, like quilting or knitting. And partly it’s because I just haven’t felt inspired to pick up a book.
That’s why I enjoy using my library’s ebook lending system. I’ve been reading my way through The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, and when I finish one book I put the next in line on hold. That gives me a little break between books, but when the next one comes up in my inbox I know I’ve only got 14 days to read it before it returns itself. It’s nicely motivational!
Anyway, today’s post for #ThinkCreateReflect isn’t about finding the time to read, but it was inspired by Harry Dresden, the lead character (a full-time professional wizard living in modern-day Chicago) in those novels I’ve been reading. Harry is a practitioner of magic, but he can’t just start up with the spell-working on a whim. Before he works a spell, he has to ground himself and clear his mind. He’s got to focus his energy on the task at hand, and remove the distractions and emotions that might cloud his judgment or mess with the magic.
That got me thinking – what if we, as creative business owners, could do that every day before work? How much more productive would you be, how much better would your art become, if you could ground + center your focus before beginning work each day? If you took a few moments to calm and quiet your mind, to breathe deeply, and to set yourself to the task at hand?
What kind of magic could you make?
Try it, and then come back here and let me know if it worked for you!