Too Busy To Think

I’ve been busy and, hence, the work of thinking has taken a back seat. So today i’ve forced myself into a deliberately slow piece of work. Creating an illustration for the Learning Science book.

In my practice i try to write and illustrate everyday, but when i’m rushed the writing is shorter and the illustrations more basic. Which is fine: it’s a space of practice, not a judgement or sentence.

But there comes a point at which i’m too busy to think properly and hence take lazy shortcuts. Which is what i was trying to address today: to hold myself accountable within my practice.

I have approaches to writing which are justifiably quick: more recently you will have seen me writing ‘fragments’, which are just fragments of thought, and which liberate me to avoid producing anything overall coherent. It’s a perfectly valid writing approach. It’s actually quite liberating, almost poetic to write.

I also have an occasional series of pieces called ‘Words About Learning’, which are just two paragraphs each. Again, quick and easy.

But today i wanted to be slow. Admittedly it’s now late in the evening, but i have done it, and i’m pleased with it. And later this week i’ll write the story behind it…

#WorkingOutLoud on Writing