Here’s a mostly true story:

Aaron (or “Double-A-Ron” as his friends called him) was a gentle soul lovingly referred to as the town drunk. His regular haunt was the Village Tap Tavern. Every day he would wander in about 4pm, sidle up to the last seat at the end of the bar, and enjoy his beer until closing time.

One day, Doug, a frequent visitor to the pub, came in after work and noticed Aaron was missing.

 “Where’s Aaron?” he asked the bartender.

“No one knows,” the bartender responded. “Rumor has it he decided to get sober.”

Weeks passed with no word from Aaron. Then one day he showed up, casual as can be, ordered a beer, and hoisted himself into his usual seat.

The patrons at the tables noticed, but no one said a word. Finally, Doug got up and walked over to the bar.

“Aaron, good to see you, but we heard you got sober. What happened?”

Aaron took a deep breath, smiled, and said, “Yup, I did get sober. But then I decided I didn’t want to become a slave to my willpower.”

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I had become a “slave to my willpower” (or my habit streak) of weekly blog posts here for the last ten months. Some weeks the momentum felt more like pressure than inspiration, but I was on a roll so I persevered. On May 4^th (in my most recent post) I asked my readers what they secretly want to do, what they envy when other people do it, and what is holding them back from exploring their own dreams.

Then it dawned on me to turn those questions back on myself. “Where am I holding myself back? What do I envy? Where am I stuck?”

I was surprised to discover I was “stuck” in chronic productivity.

Habits can be great, of course. I feel a pleasure-buzz when I get a good streak going of consecutive daily exercise, clean eating, meditation, etc. But sometimes maintaining the streak becomes the real incentive instead of the activity itself!

Health-related streaks are great, but for me, tracking daily or weekly creative output may not be such a great idea. I was proud that I had written and published a weekly blog every single week for over ten months (except for the few weeks after eye surgery when I literally could not see the keyboard).

But then in April, I noticed my inspiration was lagging. That question I posed to you on May 4^th (“May I?”) gave me permission to skip two weeks of writing blog posts just to see what would happen.

What did I discover? When the idea well is dry, it’s time to consume rich resources, not attempt producing publishable essays or artwork.

It was time to read, not write.

About “reading” via audio books – I often “read” by listening to audio books. When I declare this, many people respond by making that universal sign of rejection (index fingers crossed in front of one’s chest), then smile and dismissively say, “Audio books may be great for some, but I prefer a real book in my hands.” I get it, but you may be missing out on a thrill you haven’t experienced since childhood. By combining the best of literature and theatre, a great audio book can feel as spell-binding as the radio plays that entertained families long before the invention of television. A good book plus a good narrator is like a massage for your imagination. So, keep reading “real” books, by all means. But I hope you will occasionally indulge in an audio book as well, or get both and read along as you are effortlessly entertained.

FICTION: I just finished reading Sipsworth* by Simon Van Booy, and loved every minute. I also read A String in the Harp*, set in rural Wales. Both books will transport you far, far away, even if you’re still cuddled up in your own sweet bed.

NON-FICTION: I am enjoying listening to anything by Oliver Burkeman, including Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals*, and Meditations for Mortals*. Both books gently and humorously relieve the reader of the false notion that “catching up” on our to-do lists is ever going to happen. The fact is, everyone will have stuff on their to-do list on the day they die. Why not prioritize doing things we truly enjoy, sooner rather than later, along with all those mandatory chores?

Fiction + Non-Fiction = Comedy! John Cleese (pronounced “cleeze”, like “cheese”) is a multi-faceted man who says his greatest quality is Curiosity. I have enjoyed several interviews featuring him and his good friend Iain McGilchrist, where they banter about the very nature of humor, that curious perk of being human. Another interview here covers a lifetime of brilliance in a mere 50 minutes. Both are well worth the watch. I am now reading and listening (eBook and audio book simultaneously) to his book Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide*. A great way to remind myself why I do what I do.

ART INSTRUCTION: I am back to enjoying the brilliant writing and illustrations of my beloved mentor, Ron Ranson. His book, Watercolor Painting From Photographs* is priceless instruction for any watercolorist who is baffled by their less-than-stellar results when working from photos.

This book is for “serious artists,” people who know it takes time and dedication to build a strong set of technical skills. You can be a serious artist without being a serious person, of course! I am immersed in watercolor study for pleasure and discovery. My friends will testify that painting, especially with watercolor, gives you a whole lot to laugh about as well! Creating a watercolor sketch or painting is never boring, and can be surprisingly entertaining with the right attitude.

An old friend always ended his storytelling time with, “That’s enough out of me I should think.” I agree. Happy reading, listening, viewing, and painting!

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. The links I have provided here are to audio books whenever they are available.

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I hope you enjoyed this essay. Click on the “Word Cloud” at the right if you’d like to read more about a specific topic. Feel free to forward any of them to friends and family members who might enjoy them.

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All three of my books are available on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats.

The newest book, Look at That! – Second Edition, is also available as a beautiful hardcover.

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As always, thanks for spend some time with me “aloft.” Happy gazing and sketching!