Wednesday, September 2, 2009

How To Banish Internet Guilt with "Creativity Immersion"

During my blog break I found one of the benefits of daily blog reading as opposed to weekly blog reading to be that the inspiration will permeate. Speed reading blogs once a week is much like wolfing down fast food in the car on your way to somewhere else. Will you remember either in an hour let alone a week? I know now from experience, it's just not as good.

Productivity guilt likes to plague me and I don't think I'm the only one. I've found a way that soothes my guilt from time spent on the internet. Why not think of it in terms of "creativity immersion?" One of the best ways to learn or maintain a language is to immerse yourself in the culture and speak it every day. It's rare that someone would become bilingual if they didn't have outside help. The same can be said for creativity. Regularly reading blogs by creatives talking about their process gives the info a chance to simmer. The flavors take on depth, become greater than the separate ingredients and end up bringing richness to your own work and process.

Voila! Goofing off, uh I mean, gathering inspiration from blogs is productive. I enjoyed my break, like the trip to the ocean shown here, but am looking forward to getting back to my favorite blogs and savoring them properly.

11 comments:

Tracy said...

Hi, Shayla--welcome back! You were much missed, so it's great to see you back here again. :o) Love these images of the drift wood and sand... Your break sounds like it was rich and rewarding in many ways--just as a break should be. Creative gathering...that's what I'm doing now too. :o) Happy Days, my friend ((HUGS))

Cherry Jeffs said...

"am looking forward to getting back to my favorite blogs and savoring them properly"

Me too, Shayla! After a long bout of intensive work and then a holiday, I've finally carved out time to do just this! And I've got a lot of yours to catch up with...

ArtPropelled said...

So glad you're back Shayla. I missed you. Productivity guilt plagues me too but I know without a doubt that blog reading (and writing posts) helps to keep my inspiration going. You just have to know when to draw the line ;-)
Love your photos....they inspire me!

Jeane Myers said...

hello Shayla and welcome back - you've been missed - what a wonderful post and I love the photos of the beach logs/tree - bleached white - hope your health is much better xxo

Shayla said...

Tracy, thanks, it was a great break and I'm glad to enjoy more creative gathering. Your new photography site is gorgeous- lots of inspiration there.

Wild Cherry, how are you? That sounds like a nice work rhythm- to follow that intense work period with a holiday. Oh, now I'm thinking of holidays in Spain...my friend Leo goes every winter and tells me stories to make me jealous...wouldn't that be nice!

I missed you too, Robyn. It just wasn't the same reading your blog over at the library once a week. I prefer to curl up with a cuppa at my studio computer. It's much more like visiting. Loved your ocean photos too.

Jeane, so good to see you. I've missed your sense of humour, your process and your artwork. Thanks, my health is much better.

Unknown said...

wow...I was reading your previous post on blog break and it seems so long ago yet time speed away so fast too. Well, welcome back!! I have missed you a lot!! How lucky...having such a long blog break....happy weekend Shayla..lots of love...M

nancy said...

welcome back!!!!
i hope you found what you were looking for?! it's good to step back and get a different perspective on things.
great photos!

Patrice said...

I completely understand about the weekly cram - I found myself avoiding reading anyone for a while because I wasn't doing their posts justice. I tend to feel it is important to comment when something moves me - it's such tiny repayment for the amazing gifts bloggers (artists) put out there. And then I become "disconnected" from those who've become peers and friends online - and that isn't a good thing for a potential hermit like me. So - I'm trying to give myself at least 40 minutes of looking/reading, and twenty for responding every day.

Your photos are fabulous by the way - will these lead to work in the studio?

MiKa Art said...

Hi Shayla, I am so glad you are back!!
Have a great long weekend!
xoxoxox MiKa

DJ said...

Whee!
Shayla's back!
Creativity Immersion sounds wonderful. Much better than blog-surfing, I might add.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out a schedule for my very important CI work this week...

picciolo said...

hooray! I'm looking forward to you being back too
x