Schedule 🗞️ Slow News Day #4

There are plenty of obligations and unavoidable commitments in life. Some of us have loads, some of us have not so many.

But not everything has to be an obligation - especially not creative endeavours. In fact, the most dangerous word to attach to anything creative is “should”.

“I should work on my writing today.”

“I should have started that podcast by now.”

“I really should make time to paint next week.”

Should is creativity kryptonite. It’s a cousin of shame, which has never pushed me into anything beneficial. As soon as I start forcing myself to do X, it stops being about expression and enjoyment and becomes an obligation. Creativity doesn’t work under pressure.

Whatever your shoulds are, douse them in softness. If should and shame sit side-by-side, softness and slowness are stand firm in the fight against overextension.

This newsletter is my attempt to put this principle into practice.

I send a new edition no more than once a week. It’s new for me but I know that, in the future, it’ll sometimes (often?) happen less frequently.

The “should” side of me is revolted by the idea that I wouldn’t keep to a rigid schedule, but doing so would mean forcing ideas for the sake of consistency rather than just enjoying creativity. A rigid schedule would make my writing a hard-willed production, rather than an expression of gentle curiosity.

Instead of trying to be a content-producing machine, I’ll write when I’ve got something to share.

It feels better for me and, I hope, for you.

Slow down guide

Need a little help moving slower?

Ease your way out of Friday afternoon with this newsletter, a nice cup of something, and a little background music. Steal my setup if you aren't sure where to start.

After I press send, I'll toddle to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

I'll be drinking a cup of CRU Kafe's Honduran coffee, brewed on filter and ordered zero-waste style courtesy of Good Club.

Coffee in hand, I'll press play on Sam Evian's oh-so-smooth Time to Melt.

I'll put my feet up, watch the steam rise out of my mug, and smile as the music starts.

Take it easy,