Summer’s second bookend, this weekend. Labor Day is past. But the mercury’s back up, and New York City has ‘extended beach season*’.
Here’s something that seems to happen regularly in my business practice. Work gets a little slow after a period of hustle, so I decide to use the time productively / proactively for the betterment of my practice. Then, almost immediately, work floods in. It’s like clockwork; as soon as I give myself a project, that ‘free’ time is usurped.
I’m not complaining; this is a great problem to have, honestly. But this time, this summer, my master plan has been to make shifts and pivot things in a way that 1. I can begin to be much more proactive so that I can avoid these kind of lulls, and 2. to get more of the kind of work I really want coming in. It’s been a summer filled with research, reading, and note-taking. I’ve a plan formed.
Now I just need to make the time to implement it. But it’ll keep another month. (As an addict of Summer, I certainly don’t want to spend any more of these magic weeks than necessary with my ass in front of the machine.)
There is more research to do, and a lot of writing. Simplification and streamlining. And simple takes time. Requires percolating, and sensitive, in-the-right-moment editing. Editing (in the broad sense, I’m not really talking about words, here) is one of my favorite aspects of creativity, and I do it constantly.
Often the best edits are a result of what appears to be idleness from the outside, but is more akin to mental pacing; patience rewarded with an answer that wouldn’t have happened if rushed. It’s part of my love of walking.
Solvitur Ambulando: It is solved by walking.
*Correction: Climate Change has extended beach season. NYC is simply keeping life guards on hand another week.