Where's the Refreshment Stand?

Starting to run out of steam, blog entries are getting farther apart, not feeling particularly creative lately. I guess I could blame the Tour de France and lack of sleep, though I missed all last night’s drama with Andy Schleck losing the yellow jersey to Contador as I just had to get some sleep after watching the whole stage the night before.

Several years ago a friend gave me one of those desk calendars you flick over for a daily inspirational thought. Depending on what mood you’re in they can give you a kick start as you head into a new day, but they can also remind you of how far away you are from where you’d like to be. Sometimes they can seem so trite they feel downright patronising, wrapping life up into a neat little package which bears no resemblance to what you have to manage both internally and externally.

Mine has been sitting on February 9 for a long time, for the message I feel is quite profound.

Don’t knock the benefits of relaxation. A refreshed soul can be a truly creative soul, and a truly creative soul is a productive soul.

I’ve never been one to shirk my work responsibilities, but so many of us have a tendency to knock ourselves out working, to the detriment of the equilibrium of our body, soul and spirit. What does it really mean to relax? Simply stopping work doesn’t guarantee relaxation will automatically kick in. Many people feel at a loose end when they go on holiday, and even weekends can bring their own stresses as the structure of a normal working day is taken away.

Unwinding in front of the square box can be fine for a while, but being passive doesn’t do it for me. I need to be actively engaged in something to come to a point where I get a new lease of life. I’m not arty or crafty or particularly skilled at anything much, but reading a good book can transport me to another world. I might be curled up on the couch, but my mind is active and my emotions engaged. Walking is a great tonic for clearing the head; making the effort is usually the hardest part, for once I get out there I wonder why I don’t do it more often. Walking in the bush is even better, increases my appreciation for the wonders of creation.

Surprisingly, a day’s hard work can actually be more refreshing than lying on the couch watching movies. Flexing the muscles and chopping and stacking firewood, or going for broke weeding and cleaning up the yard, can give me a great sense of achievement, and in the process the cares of the day get relegated to the back burner where they assume their proper place amongst the other insignificant things crowding my mind. I might be exhausted physically, but I come alive in the challenge.

Walking 18 holes and chasing a little white ball does it for some. Others travel, dance, paint, build, fish, care for kids, sing, ride bikes, act, restore old cars, climb mountains, draw, write, collect coins and stamps, garden, knit, sew, design, the list is endless.

Whatever it is, it will be those things which go to the core of our being and bring joy and a sense of fulfilment that will get our creative juices going, and when we’re firing on all cylinders, look out. The only restrictions will be those we put on ourselves.