I've had a melody stuck in my head for weeks. It's been killing me. I've been getting up between 3 am and 4 am every day to try to find the lyrics. By Friday morning, I'd rewritten the song too many times to count. I've collectively spent about 24 hours hitting creative walls for one bloody song.
It's comical to think I do this by choice.
Anyway, on Friday night, my husband asked me to go out for a drink. I told him no: I needed to continue to work. But after a couple hours of coming up dry, I decided to wet my whistle with my guy.
Two rob roys later, I was feeling no pain. When we got home, I passed out on the couch with our new baby chicks on my belly. I don't remember how I got to bed that night.
But when I sat down at the piano the next morning, the song found me immediately. I captured it as quickly as I could, and I thanked my lucky scotchy stars.
Reader, the moral of my week is: a step away from our work to clear (or lose) our head is sometimes just as important as the hard work itself. Creative magic doesn't come from stress: it comes from joy and love. If what you love is causing you stress, it might be time to step away until you're lighter and ready for it to give you joy again.
Work hard, and take breaks this week, and I'll do the same. See you next Monday. -Em