The Wage Slaves Escape Manual

I nearly got run over by a car this morning. Rushing out of the house to grab some lunch I was, in the words of Radiohead, buzzing like a fridge. Didn’t look where I was going, too busy planning the afternoon schedule in my head. Luckily the car driver was concentrating.

Buzz buzz buzz. Ideas swarming like Scottish midges on an August camping trip.

Article ideas, pitches for new features, people I needed to call, books I could write, lists and lists of stuff to do, all of it fun and exciting, but just not enough time.

Creativity is both a blessing and a curse. It’s great to have all these wonderful, inspiring exciting ideas, but for a creative person it’s stressful not being able to schedule them all in.

Luckily I stumbled across a wonderful tweet from John Williams, author of Screw Work Let’s Play, about a section in his book on creativity and being overwhelmed. Put simply, creative people have so many great ideas that sometimes it can be overwhelming and difficult to prioritise.

Absolutely right, John. Were you somewhere in my brain when you wrote that? His answer is very reassuring: “Moment by moment you can do simple things to reduce your overwhelm. Have a good diary. Write everything down; don’t carry essential information in your head. Leave it free for thinking.” I highly recommend reading more (PS it’s on page 109 of his book)

Phew, so it’s not just me, then. Right, now back to that pile of papers on my office floor……

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