During last night’s first meeting of the Big Artist Workshop, gentle genius Chris Wells (hey! he won an Obie!) shared the most useful hack I’ve ever heard of for dealing with one’s art as a focus-challenged person:
Don’t worry about letting go of things; think instead of what you would most like to move toward.
Like most shifts in thinking, it will probably end up being profound because it is so simple. I have trouble letting go of stuff, because the decisions are too painful. So I don’t: I now turn my attention toward the one thing I am moving toward right now. Those other things? Those other ideas for projects and stories and songs and books and demands on my limited attention? We’ll talk about what they’re for later, when we understand it. For now, it’s enough to know that I can safely move toward this one thing.
The class was full of so much goodness, it fairly blew my mind.
xxx
c
Image by olliethebastard via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.
communicatrix 
Hi Colleen: Thanks for sharing the quote. You are right it is very simple, yet profound. I’ve read my share of getting organized books in recent months and have made some progress in a couple areas of my life. Yet, I’m still trying to get rid of my pack-rat tendencies. This is a great phrase to remember during those moments of decision about whether to keep or toss something. Thanks again!
You’re welcome! Glad it’s helpful.
I’ve been reading books about hoarding lately. There’s been good stuff in each of them, esp. from a psychological perspective, but the RX seems to be the same every time: move slowly, pay attention, look at one thing at a time. The “one thing at a time” recurs everywhere: the myth of multi-tasking, the importance of focus, the solution for dealing with overwhelm.
Honestly, out of all the books I’ve read so far, I think my friend Brooks’ book is the best. It almost feels overly simple as you read it, but the simplicity and gentleness is what makes it work so well. You feel *safe* letting go and just dealing with the one thing at a time, slowly and carefully.
All roads lead to Rome, right?
This post just salvaged the last 20 minutes of my day. I didn’t make any more progress on the thing I didn’t feel like doing, and rather than try to make myself do it, which hasn’t worked out so far today, I just decided to work on the thing I really wanted to do, even though it wasn’t urgent. Ah. Movement. It feels good. I am CLEAN! Guilt-free! I might even have enough momentum going now to do the urgent thing that I don’t want to do! Thanks, Colleen/Chris!
Hooray! Thanks for the real-life confirmation.
I’m sick right now, which I keep feeling has gummed up the works. Great, right? Getting mad at your own body for doing what it has to do to take care of itself?
Anyway, SO good for unsticking with less agita.
Yes, indeedy!
Because ultimately, trying to let go just makes things stick like glue. And trying to will your way into doing something doesn’t usually work either – it just sets up a dreadful internal argument between warring thoughts.
Allowing what’s calling to be heard and moved towards is astonishingly powerful.
Thanks for this!
Exactly. Don’t think of the elephant, etc. Thanks, Grace.
Hey, thanks for sharing this thought, Colleen. With a new blog and many ideas and projects skitting around my brain, not least of which is balancing creativity with the day job, this is a perfect focus for me. It’s also something I can remember, like a mantra…’what do I most want to move towards…’ now, today, this week, this month…Terri
Hi Colleen: Thanks for sharing the quote. You are right it is very simple, yet profound. I’ve read my share of getting organized books in recent months and have made some progress in a couple areas of my life. Yet, I’m still trying to get rid of my pack-rat tendencies. This is a great phrase to remember during those moments of decision about whether to keep or toss something. Thanks again!