welcome to The Sunday Slowdown — your weekly invitation to pause and recalibrate for the week ahead with a collection of inspiration and approachable practices to live well, one day at at time.
After making this post earlier in May ⬇, I’ve continued to get curious about what it looks like to write consistently in the midst of a full life (including a full time job), and enjoy it.
It’s no secret to those who know me that I have aspirations of writing full-time one day: from a cookbook I’m actively working on, to the overflowing list of creative writing ideas in my notes.
I don’t have a wealthy benefactor, and prioritizing my creative practice doesn’t feel optional. I’ve seen enough of life’s shortness during my years as a Paramedic—knowing that “one day” isn’t guaranteed—to be uncomfortable leaving things up to all dreams and no actions.
So, where does that leave me?
I recently came across the quote “minds are for thinking of ideas, not holding them” (or something like that) while listening to a podcast, and it struck me as a great reminder that systems are essential for creativity and spaciousness.
Not that we have to be rigid in all things, but that we do have to keep promises to ourselves about the things that matter most. Systems, routines, and habits that relieve stress and build capacity can create the space to be free to do what we love.
Holding that quote closely, along with my own thoughts the past few weeks and I’ve landed on 3 themes important for making space for a *creative practice:
Protecting time (mostly by this I mean: less time staring at a phone)
Re-examining “busy” as a bad word (more on that another time)
Systems, to keep focus on what matters (and for holding ideas)
(*insert whatever it is you’re trying to make more time for)
Maybe this will be the last I wax poetic on the topic for a while, or perhaps I’ll dive in to each of those over time here. Either way - consider this your gentle reminder to be relentless in the pursuit of creating what you can’t stop thinking about.
Where can you protect your time, to leave more space for what matters?
What’s your relationship with the word “busy”? Do you glorify it, shun it, or is it neutral?
What systems and routines can you refresh this week to help you show up for yourself and your dreams?
From my notes:
Slowly & surely,
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