Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Of Booms and Busts

It’s odd sometimes; the boom and bust cycle and the layers of components that make it up. Time, inspiration and motivation can work together, in perfect synchronicity or they can completely negate each other. Then throw on top of all that the sensation of whether one is productive, lazy or even lucky and how those sensations affect and are affected by the first three factors and one can end up very confused indeed – which, of course gets blended in as well. And as complicated as it seems, with just seven factors to consider (causal: time, inspiration, motivation; effectual: productive, lazy, lucky; and resultant: confused) it is but a mild representation of the complex interaction of everything and everything else.

Of late, it has been an unusual combination of factors that has perhaps produced this odd insight. Time was extremely tight for a few days and then suddenly – not so much. While time was limited, a kind of motivational force was produced… grace under fire that did not require any particular inspiration. The work was defined and although original work had to be created – it was along a concise framework, one that came with a firm deadline. Perceptions of laziness were nowhere to be found – productivity is abundantly evident and there are blessings to be counted. All was in order – everything reinforced everything else. Indeed, there was not much to think about.

As fast as the pace quickened, so it eased. The stories were written, the deadline was met, the work was produced, the motivation had passed - it was time to relax. Time and motivation had run their designed course, the pressure lifted, time now to attend to some not so urgent issues. Mundane stuff, really. Boring… maintenance… chores. And there is time to relax; there is time to create. Time is in boom - it’s plentiful, motivation in bust – nothing too pressing. And inspiration? – Off the scale. Productivity? – Nothing, or not much anyway. Lazy? – And how! Lucky? – Yes, but…

Stories are coming at an alarming rate. None, however, have made it into print and many are quite possibly gone forever. And others? Maybe just on the literary “back burner.” The fact is that there is no one ”waiting” for them. Oh, sure – in the figurative or spiritual sense there is always “someone’ waiting in the great scheme of things, but there is no deadline. If these words don’t see the light of day, no one will be the wiser. The only direct downside is to oneself in how it affects one's feelings of luck, productivity, laziness, etc. Then the cycle spins, in turn affecting the physical reality until something pops; this time manifested in confusion.

Too many “whys,” a few “ah hahs” and an “hmmm” or two finally yielded some action. Action manifested as written words that, ironically enough, are born of inspiration triggered by the very confusion that spawned the questions that instigated the action that started it all in the first place. Whew! All leading right back to the very confusion that started the questioning that led to more confusion. And that’s the simple version! All this from just seven quasi-randomly chosen attributes to toss into this cyclical stew.

Even more curious is that all this revelation has not lessened the confusion in the least. However, the sensational laziness is greatly diminished; the productivity is back in the “boom” cycle; motivation is up; inspiration - enhanced; time is still available and luck is there. Everything else? – It’s everything elsing. And the confusion mounts. As inter-related as all these and infinite other factors are, they can and apparently often do have nothing to do with one another. The push/pull, action/reaction… chickens and eggs are only window dressings – except when they’re not. It’s enough to inspire and sufficiently motivate one to make the time to take a nap, producing lazy sleep to dream about how lucky one is to be confused.

8 comments:

mckay said...

writers are lucky because they can lay down and take a nap and call it legitimate creative process.

i hope you take some time to take that nap, kick back in the pool and reeeeelax.

mck.

Belizegial said...

Have been reading your recent insights on time (the lack of and the excess) you're experiencing right now.

Being employed in the past in sales, marketing and now administration, I can relate to boom and bust situations. Deadlines, always deadlines to meet and I was on the verge of breaking down. Until I let go and went with the flow. Now I can handle the time allotted, whether I am having a boom or bust kind of day.

From R. Kelly "I believe I can fly, I believe I can flow ..." All, it takes is belief in yourself.

Anonymous said...

I like what McKay said :)

Ok, I am confused and tired now after reading your blog - you deserve to be lazy once in awhile with all you have going on!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I was commenting and I got kicked off---I must have hit the wrong key..
What I was saying was...this was an interesting and thoughtful post...thought provoking as always...
Sorry you got busted up on your cycle....I haven;t trusted those things since my brother lost some front teeth a VERY VERY VERY long time ago...ove a little and in the street, leftover from a winter snow...That was it for him, and he was a dedicated Motorcycle Guy...! Do be very very careful dear Mike...I don't want anything happening to you and I'm sure your dear family doesn't either! Thanks for stopping by for my Birthday, my dear...

OldLady Of The Hills said...

that should read.."OVER A LITTLE SAND IN THE STEET..." OY!

Snaggle Tooth said...

I believe you've succeded to bedazzle n confuse many, just by inciting the concept of confusion, with which we all have empathy...

N what's so lazy about being productive about making time for a nap? Without the dreaming, there's no new imaginings!

Yes, I believe just stating "confusion" creates it right there for your readers!
Seemed pretty logical to me...

Snaggle Tooth said...

Apparently, it's National Typo Day!

Street!

succeeded!

any more entries?

awareness said...

The peaks and valleys of our lives and our pursuits.......great post!

I'm thinking though that confusion is causal........which in turn affects our motivation. The more confused I get, the more determined I am to figure it out. Often, the beginning of the "figuring out"........whatever the problem is......begins with a long deep sleep......

Maybe that's why meditation is so important in our lives.....even if it is quiet time to reflect in the silence.....it calms the confusion "noise" and allows us to start critically think again.

So...........is it quite cyclical in nature? An analogy would be the seasons?