Friday, December 30, 2011

Five things you should stop doing in 2012

Happy (nearly) new year!

If you're anything like me, your thougths have already turned to what you want to 'give up' or change in 2012.  I'm going to try getting off sugar, but that's a tale for another time.

This post caught my attention.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/five_things_you_should_stop_do.html

The author's are very personal to her - but it did get me thinking... what am I going to stop doing in 2012? 

I'd love to commit to the email interruption thing, but let's be realistic.  Do you know anyone that can do that successfully?!  Sounds harder to give up than sugar.

But I will have a think about things I want to NOT do, in order to spend more time on things I WANT to do.

Feel free to share yours!

WK

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The importance of finding a space to Create

I've long believed the space you choose to create in is one of the most important aspects of the entire creative process.

It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to work for you.

I've always longed to have a study.  Dark timber floor to ceiling book shelves, leather chairs and an old English writing desk.  I've got the writing desk, and figure by the time I retire I might have the rest, but you know what, the amount of creating I've done at the desk is next to zero.  It sits underneath piles of bills, magazines and other clutter.

So after recently moving house, I discovered a little wine bar that is open late and basically exists for the enjoyment of cultural snobs such as myself.

Gibson's Wine Bar - Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, VIC

It's very casual, has wine by the glass and is never full.  None of the tables and chairs match, and the cellar-like walls are stacked with bottles.  The small varied spaces you can see on the walls are matched to size with pics with pics of Woody Allen, film noir movie posters, and one iconic black and white image of John Lennon in a 'New York City' t-shirt.

More often than not Van Morrison or Neil Diamond blasts out of the tinny hi-fi from the bar at way too loud a volume, and I've never been more creatively productive in my life.  Stuff flows out of me here.  (Right now the only working waitress is dancing with customers).

Anyway - enough about my joint.  Where's yours?  And if you haven't found it - go and find it quickly!  It's so important to be able to feel inspired in your surroundings.  If you're like me and need motivation to get started - it won't find you - you have to find it.

WK