Episode 138: Focus Amidst the Chaos
/“Women don’t think they have the right to spend time on their book or their painting or whatever it is until they’ve checked all the boxes and everyone is OK. And the fact is no one is ever gonna be OK. ”
Right now a lot of us are thinking about our intentions for the new year. Plenty of people have a side project they're hoping to get off the ground - it could be a novel, a new business, or perhaps you just want to learn to paint. Whatever it is, you have to make it happen on top of the rest of your life. Which is where the problems start.
In this episode cartoonist, teacher, and author Jessica Abel talks about how to bring focus to a crowded life so you can actually turn your idea into a reality.
You can also read a transcript of the show.
At the top of the episode you heard me talk about Anne Libby’s newsletter On Management. Anne has been a guest on the show and is also a supporter. You can sign up for her newsletter right here.
Jessica abel
Further reading: Jessica’s latest book is Growing Gills: How to Find Creative Focus When You’re Drowning in Your Daily Life.
Here are a few of her blog posts as well: the first is on ‘idea debt’, which she mentioned in the show. The second is on scarcity and why so many creatives work like crazy, moving from project to project without allowing any time to think or strategize in between (and how to change that). The third is on how to escape panic mode and actually get on with your creative project.