Hello all,
I just finished reading a study that was done at Vassar (where I teach) and a few other like colleagues on exactly how people are spending their time, and on why there seems to be so much less of it these days.
If anyone is interested, I can publish the link.
I would like to start a serious conversation about how we can open to more “creative time,” which to me means unplanned, open flow.
Rick
February 11, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Hello,
I am very interested in this issue and think our scarcity of time (and lack of creativity) is one of the most crucial issues we face today.
I just made a dramatic career change. For the last 11 years, I worked as an attorney in Colorado. After some serious soul-searching, I left the practice and joined the U.S. Peace Corps. Right now, I am in Querétaro, Mexico teaching English to engineers in a technical institution.
One thing I was hoping to escape was the frenetic pace of my life in the US. And, indeed, my volunteer work here is incredibly low pressure compared to my last job as an attorney. Still, I have observed that I have “imported” this frenetic state of mind. I am still too busy even when there is no reason to be.
This observation has taught me, that at least in my case, this scarcity of time is a state of mind to some extent, and I need to “de-program” myself from this behavior. About a week ago, I realized to my horror that time was passing me by, and that I was living my life here in Mexico just like I was in the States – very busy and not really personally growing like I thought I would be.
I set two goals in an effort to change my behavior. The first one was to focus on improving my Spanish, and the second one was to be more creative – a side of me that I have not spent much time developing in my life. This second goal is more amorphous. Essentially, the goal is to receive more open, creative flow (as you say) and incorporate it into all aspects of my life.
So far, I have done two things toward moving in this direction. The first is to keep a journal and every day (or sometimes every other day) write down something that happened to me that day where the creative flow came into my life – when I was inspired even a tiny bit. I am talking small stuff here. For example, if I received an idea how to teach a concept to my class – or this last week I got the idea to put up some brightly colored paper in my windows to get some privacy from the neighbors starring in while still letting in the light. (Okay, – on that Peace Corps salary, I’m still saving up for curtains!) These ideas seem so insignificant in the scheme of one’s life work and big creative projects. However, I’m trying to work with the law of attention here – meaning that I find the more focus and attention I give to something in my life (either good or bad), it seems to grow. I am hoping that by focusing on these small instances where the creative flow comes in, I can expand on them (or they will expand themselves.)
The other thing I am working with is movement. In your Anti-Career Workshop, particularly the work with the Fifth Chakra, you recommend opening up space by doing free form physical movement. Partly for exercise on these dark, winter nights and partly to experiment with this notion, I turn the music on and for 30 to 40 minutes just dance. I am a terrible dancer, but that is not the point. The point is to open up free movement and do something uninhibited. Because I am sensitive to time, I also use this period for exercise and make sure I get my heart rate up for a period time. For the time being, this seems more creative than paying gym fee and jumping on the treadmill. I’ll see how it works.
I would love to hear other ideas about how to open to creative time and where this practice takes people.
Thanks for starting this blog.
Sincerely,
Wendy
February 12, 2007 at 4:56 am
Wendy….the motto I adopted last new years eve:
DANCE like no one is watching.
LOVE like you’ll never be hurt.
SING like no one is listening.
LIVE like it’s HEAVEN on EARTH.
Keep dancing, thru the flames and thru the rain…..dance right into yourself and into a life that is your highest expression! Live like it’s heaven on earth….yes it’s possible with colored paper for curtains! :-D
March 2, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Yes, I am intrigued to hear how we are using out time! I’d like to think that I am not “people” but the truth is I am ! I am six weeks into releasing a workaholic approach to life and experiencing physical, emotional, mental withdrawl, and an ongoing spiritual re-calibration — wonderful stuff and intense at times too.
This last several weeks, I have spent many hou-long segments of my day laying onteh couch with my 2-year-old lying on my stomach, sleeping. Even in the midst of this beauty, the old urge to DO DO DO quickens my heart and has me uncomfortable. For now, my work is to become comfortable with this discomfort . . . it is the only way out of the squirrel hole.
Happy trails!
Toby
March 4, 2007 at 6:57 pm
This is encouraging to me, at least three people in this orbit are stepping of the windmill (much faster than a treadmill). One way I am currently exploring – in terms of the time issue – is clearing space. That means paying a lot of attention to the details of every space I am in – moffice, bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc. J. Krishnamurti in this regard, once defined “Art” as “Putting things in their right place.” And while “right” is open to interpretation, the sense of living order and rightness that comes with taking care of your space is real. This aproach also helps one from accumulating too many things. If you cannot take care of them, they are stagnant energy constructs.
Many winters ago, I was part of a team that was hired by John Lennon to find, count, and catalogue the guitars in his home. This took well over two weeks. As the Indians say, if you are going to have an elephant in your home, make sure you can also engage an elephant keeper.
IRLL,
Rick
March 6, 2007 at 4:39 am
Freedom and trusting in the Universe to meet your needs is the major theme that I have derived from Ricks work thus far. Defining those needs (desires) and asking for them are rather tricky for me. I sometimes think that I must decide to go forward at all cost, risking failure to gain momentum and challenge myself to trust that I will tap into the source.This takes me back to the idea of being the judge of my own level of mindful focus. Can I conquer doubt to the degree that I will calibrate to the confidence frequency and hold steadfast , clarifying the connection , and allow myself to be pulled forward? Or will I agitate, in an endless loop and end up where I started a little bruised. This is a beautiful idea to create an open forum of likeminded people to explore the nature of manifestation. I will closely study the arrival of spring through nature and look for signs that my time has arrived and that it is time to tune in and listen. After I returned to Indiana after the Feb. manifestation group in NYC I was tested immediately and struck down by pain for a week. During this time the hotel that I was staying in caught on fire while I was there. It was 10 degrees out and everyone breathed some heavy smoke in order to escape. I grabbed a heavy suitcase as I fled and reinjured myself. I had to go there in the first place because I couldnt handle the steps at home. I am not aking for what I want in life clearly enough and therefore am not tuned in to the solution frequency clearly enough yet, but I feel more determined than ever and have been receiving some great insight and following up on it.This work has been a tremendous help to me. Those of you at the workshop were very inspiring and loving. The scarcity of time has helped me to follow through thus far, because the lessons I am being sent will make my older years more fruitfull.
March 7, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Rick, could you post the link to that study? I am acutely aware of how much time I waste per day doing things that are totally meaningless. I firmly believe if more people telecommuted or worked from home, we’d all get way more done and do more of the things that are really important to us. Not everyone can do that, but I would like to.
March 9, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Something I want to manifest is more like-minded people in my life, so I’m grateful for you fellow bloggers and the manifestation gatherings. Honoring where I do have “some” of what I want “more” of seems to help me, as well as the attraction process.
“Anthing you do in space you also do in time” is posted on my white board at work….to keep me focused on WHY I need to keep cleaning, clearing, arranging things to be in the “right” configuration. I get frustrated that it seems to take me sooooo long to manifest exactly how I want to live. Borrowing from Krishnamurti…..I want my life to be art. I want my life to have the ‘right’ configuration in every regard. I’ve been focused on clearing/re-arranging things in my home for the past year…..and yet I have this one hurdle I can’t seem to conquer……I know what needs to be done and a year later…..it still isn’t done. So I’ve moved to cleaning/clearing inside my body (and emotionally) hoping that clearing internally will help me externally. Fun is also soul food for me, and that means music/dancing……Bob Weir and Ratdog last night, and Anoushka Shankar tonight. Rick does that study have any great insights as to how people can feel better about their use of time?
March 13, 2007 at 4:37 am
I simply breathe easier with regular infusions of your thinking/wisdom/consciousness, Rick. Thanks for sharing it!
I’m hoping your next book will be “The Anti-Time Management Book” (a sister to The Anti-Career book). This is such a hot theme as we we juggle too many activities and too much stuff with too much technology and get too little real joy from any of it.
Peace,
kk
March 13, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I’ve noticed that sharing ideas, or maybe just sharing itself, can open the door to creative open flow. The sharing has to be something you really want to do – if you feel obligated or resentful about having to help a relative or friend, this doesn’t apply. However, if I truly want to help someone or be with someone to give them ideas, this seems to turn on a faucet in my head.
The connection with others seems to open the mind to creative ideas because there is a joy and excitement in sharing them. Concerning time, I’ve found it is often best if the sharing is as spontaneous as possible – whenever the opportunity arises.
March 18, 2007 at 12:18 am
Greetings, and thanks everyone for sharing your personal feelings/experiences with others. As a participant in one of Rick’s anti-career seminars, I’m excited to continue the dialogue with others who’ve chosen this forum. For years, I had associated terms such as “space” and “flow” exclusively with the physical world in which I lived. Needless to say, one can literally get buried in acquisitions and possessions over a decent period of time with little room to breathe. Not until I looked inward, did I realize just how “cluttered” my energy flow had mirrored my external world. To me, the first step (and nearly every step since then) has been the neutralization of “fear” and all of it’s ugly relatives. Exposing those places that scare the hell out of us, shaking hands with them, and eventually waving good-bye to them — ultimately lays the groundwork for those amazing, creative visions that we all possess, and so despirately want to express not only to ourselves, but to share with others.