A Time for Work and a Time for Play
Being self-employed means having control over your own time—to a degree. You still have to ensure the work gets done, be it client work, business promotion, or any of the multitude of administrative tasks a small business sees piling up when left unattended.
Yet there are times you simply need to detach, whether it’s because you’ll be away from your office, getting some much-needed R & R, or anything that gets between you and the things you need to keep the long list of necessary tasks from getting out of control.
At the moment, the bulk of my work is comprised of content writing. I have deadlines I’m barely meeting right now, and have added more to my load in recent weeks. I also know I’ll soon be in a place where, while it won’t be impossible to add content, location, technology, and circumstances will make it more challenging. It behooves me to get as far ahead on all my projects as possible.
Though I’ve learned I can’t force creativity, I also don’t need to get in my own way and stop the flow entirely. Failing to make time to sit in front of the computer distraction-free and knock out an article or three is my biggest demon, and one I’ve only partially learned to conquer. Every day I have to remind myself to close social media, leave the TV off, refrain from wandering into my well-stocked library to select someone else’s work, put my fingers on the keyboard and let go of control.
Keeping the Mind’s Work-a-holic Tendencies in Check
You may be wondering why I added the last part to that sentence. It’s something I’ve learned in 
the last 7 years I’ve been working on being a full-time writer, and is something more applicable to pantsers than planners. I’ve discovered the single most insidious thing that halts my creativity and progress is my own mind. If I allow all the unworthies, the coulda-shoulda-wouldas, and the endless to do lists to get in my way, I would never write a creative word again.
Even now, as I struggle to write this piece, I feel the analytical side of my brain trying desperately to grab control and use the right words and phrases to express my thoughts. I have to almost physically push it away, assuring it’ll get it’s time in the spotlight to edit and refine once the draft is done. I’ve learned having the right word or phrase, or even staying on topic aren’t the most important things in the initial draft. In fact, if truth be told, those things don’t matter until I enter what I like to call my clean-up phase.
My mind is active at all times, which is evidenced by my first thoughts when I awake from dreams that took me all over the known and unknown Universe every morning. Reeling it in to actually put something sensical down is another thing entirely. But after several years of incessant, though sometimes sporadic keyboard pounding, I’ve learned it won’t happen if I try to force it, any more than I remember my dreams if I try to reel them in.
In fact, writing for me is a lot like dreaming. I have to allow the tale I tell to go wherever it may without restrictions. It doesn’t have to make sense or be cohesive the first time around. Trying to make it so inhibits my creativity, and often stops it in it’s tracks, sending me to the mind-numbingness of TV, or the diversion of a book to get out of my own head. Then, I don’t make any progress at all in whittling away at my scheduled tasks.
Managing Frustration
Which leads to another problem. The more frustrated I get with my lack of creativity, the less I create. My mind cannot create when it’s frustrated. Angry, yes. Exultant, absolutely. In the depths of despair, always. But frustration seems to breed more frustration—and zero content. Worse, it prevents me from getting ahead so I can comfortably take time off without guilt, and boy, can my analytical mind pile on the guilt!
Staying out of frustration might take many forms. First and foremost is to sit at the computer and type mindlessly for a few minutes. Writing morning pages every day as soon as I awake is another. When all else fails, doing something menial like yard work, house work, or walking will usually do the trick. But in the end, I still have to sit down at the computer, or with pen in hand and start writing whatever pops into my head without editing or translating.
Discouraging Distractions
Distractions are the hardest part of a self-employed, creative’s life. When you’re not in the 
“zone”, a cat’s sneeze, a spider web on the wall, a chair blowing over in the wind, or a loud car driving by can take you completely out of the flow. You know stopping to check on what drew your attention means ignoring or misplacing the dedication and determination you need to keep going, especially when what you need is more words on the page, strokes on the canvas or sketch book, or turns of the pottery wheel than perfection.
For me, when the words aren’t flowing as smoothly as I’d like, distractions are more likely to pull me away. And don’t even get me started on my mind’s tendency to obsess on memories, things I need to do, or imagined transgressions. It’s often an act of sheer will to keep going, and the knowledge that when I do glue my butt to the chair, I will inevitably succeed in producing something that is, if not perfect, at least editable. The biggest challenge is to stay put until the initial pass is done.
Once, I worked with music in the background, in part because my office was in the back of the house which tends to be quieter. Working in the living room means noises from the street and yard are louder as the slider in the living room is the only window that isn’t double-paned. It means the cats careen off the walls more often, or demand my attention because they no longer have desk beside me to lay on while I’m writing.
Now I find the relative silence more conducive, and less distracting. In many ways, I’ve come to appreciate the music in the silence, and prefer not to drown out the melodies. In their own way, they help keep me in place while I work away at the tasks I continue to set myself, preparing me better for time away.
Time Off is the Ultimate in Self Care
Taking time off might seem like a frivolous idea when actual work demands are less pressing. In truth, I’ve learned to take time while I can, because when the ball starts rolling downhill, time away from creation, from editing and formatting, and from tight deadlines will be much harder to come by.
I know myself well enough to accept that when it’s harder to come by, I’m less likely to make the effort to give myself a much-needed break, using those deadlines and commitments as an excuse to push my self-care to the back burner. My only hope is learning to make myself, self-care, and especially breaks longer than a couple of hours a priority instead of an after-thought. The last year or so has shown my the importance of self-care habits that are non-negotiable no matter what life throws at me.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri 
believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.
If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.
