Sometimes the simple act of making something new is good enough to get my creative juices flowing and the completion of those things gives me a great sense of accomplishment to take into the the project. Sometimes, however, it is not enough. There is a great amount of energy to be gained from the company of others. I go through phases of wanting to escape interaction with others, whether from my own level of discomfort in certain social circles or from my inherent distrust of humanity and its “good intentions.” There are times, though, when the very interaction I often find distasteful is the very thing I need to feel fulfilled. I’m not a psychologist so I can’t stick a label on the feeling, but the common name is cabin fever.
I’ve had a very anti-social schedule for the last couple months and last night it all came to a head when I needed to print a photo here at home, not having the time to order it from a press as is my preference. The printer I’m using is rather outdated, I bought it in 2001. At the time is was great, the color was spectacular and the printing smooth, but in the past few years it’s been used less and less. Last night was the first time in quite a while that I’ve used the printer for anything more than draft pattern printing. The photo didn’t need to be gallery quality, but it did need to stand up to future scanning. The problem arose in the lack of an updated ICC color profile compatible with the software I’m now using. The problem with color matching seemed insurmountable last night and due to my already peaked frustration and the feeling of not getting things done. I blew up at the printer. When I “blow up” I’m often extremely aware internally of the futility of the anger. I try to channel the anger into some level of productivity, though perhaps not related to the problem. I’m the person that starts cleaning the house, taking out the trash, or organizing closets in anger (a trait I “inherited” from my parents). Last night, however, I let the frustration flow free, and nothing useful got done. I did print several copies, which upon examination this morning seem perfectly fine, but last night they seemed un-acceptable. The anger at not being able to do things in a logical or simple manner was my outpouring of frustration over the lack of progress in other aspects of my life; my own version of cabin fever.
Now looking over the whole situation I realize that my frustration was unfounded. The problem has a solution. Just because I don’t know it and it isn’t an easy fix, doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. My cabin fever had clouded any logical thought process and so forward momentum was stunted, a recurring cycle that could lead to depression if left to run rampant. The photo printed was fine, the software needs to be adjusted or created, and the cabin fever can be cured with one simple step; a step outside the normal schedule. I needed to take a walk without audio books burying me in my anti-social behavior even in the most populace places. I needed to simply “get out for a bit.”
This extremely long personal post should serve as an example to any person who feels a lack of creativity in their monotonous schedule. Don’t worry, it’s an easy fix. Just do something different in the time you can controll. It will help a lot, or at least it did for me.
P.S. — The 4th of July is this weekend. Use it to break your normal routine. Travel somewhere, do something unusual. Go to a party. Take pictures. Do whatever feels new to you. The following week won’t seem quite so dim.
