NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED ME ABOUT THE SOURCE of my “creativity” before, but when Canadian blogger and creativity coach Jamie Ridler did recently, I was intrigued. Jamie’s series of popular podcasts on the topic includes not just the one with me, but a new show this week with Chris Guillebeau. His current bestseller “The Art of Nonconformity” has had me intrigued for some time–though Chris derives inspiration from traveling the world, and (as you know) I get my sparks from just staying home.
Categoriesinspiration
Margaret,
I’m really glad I took the time to listen to this podcast before I went outside and began scraping paint and priming windows. In June of 2009, I was granted a ‘sabbatical’ by my former employers. In a way, losing my job gave me permission to do what I’ve always wanted to do — stay home and garden and write.
In college (which I started at the age of 32) I was enrolled in the School of Journalism, (UNC-CH), but was the red-headed step-child of the creative writing department, where I felt at home and won the senior prize for fiction. But journalism would pay the bills, my rational brain decided. Like you, I became an editor, as the pay and the clout was better. I was more confident in my grammar than my creativity.
Now, we have less money, but that’s OK (most of the time). I hate it when people ask me if I’m working now… my response is, “why yes, I’m writing every day and gardening and working on our house,” which is usually dismissed as not real work.
It’s always nice to discover others feel the same way I do — makes me feel less of an oddball for wanting peace more than money!
Dee
Margaret, your uncommon sense is inspirational.