I just read this blog post by Molly Fairhurst on collage and it got me thinking about spontaneity and longevity.
I can’t say that I’ve “completed” any big-picture projects at this point in my life, but I can look back and point at a sprinkling of day and weekend projects that do make up my past.
Just yesterday I did a small, day-long photo project. I took a walk, snapped a number of photos, edited them to my liking, and posted them on my Twitter. All within a few hours.
They aren’t spectacular, but I dig them, and more importantly I can chalk that project up as a happy success.
The issue, or perhaps challenge, being that longer projects (i.e. a feature screenplay) cannot be completed in such a fierce and intense period of time. It would be too much for that type of project.
So, I find that working on a larger project sometimes stalls. That an element of jumpy spontaneity is lacking and it can become more tiring than it’s worth.
But this is not to say that shorter projects are the answer either. While I love and appreciate diving into the pool, sometimes I find myself out of the water before I’ve gotten a chance to really enjoy myself.
The idea I’m receiving from this is that you really need both, and they’ve got to overlap.
Have a larger project in the running, simmering away in the pan, but don’t forget to follow your nose and see where it leads.
Having lots of hobbies is likely the answer. Have things that can be done quick; like taking a few photos, or doing a collage, or scratch-building a robot… Do these things to refresh yourself, and do them often.
I have a feeling those longer projects will thank you for it.