Fatigue
Friday, January 20, 1995 - 6:00pm
I'm tired, it's been a long week, and there is no end in sight yet. My fatigue brings to mind the question - how creative can I be when I am stressed and tired?
I know that for short periods, it is no obstacle at all. I've experienced several times the tremendous energy that seemingly comes from nowhere once the creative process begins. The key word is "begins". Getting started is the most difficult part. Once the wheels start turning, though, there sometimes seems to be an almost boundless energy reserve. I recall coming home after a day of work, picking up my pastels and drawing non-stop for fifteen more hours before stopping. I don't recall feeling any fatigue - just the exhilaration that sometimes comes with creating. I didn't tire until I crashed sometime after I stopped drawing the next day. This has happened often enough (though sometimes the energy is decidedly *not* boundless, and runs out sometime during the night, usually around 5am). This period in my life is probably the first where I've tried to sustain this kind of a schedule for an extended period. The creativity still comes when summoned, but it does get harder to start up.
By the end of this semester in June, it should be more obvious whether this kind of thing is sustainable. However, it's likely that the physical limits will be the determining factor.
[ Out of Balance ]
author: Gerry
Manacsa
copyright 1996