Teal diary entry #4: Freedom, but at what cost?

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Louis Pollard writes:

Freedom, but at what cost?

The teal thing: it seems the deeper we go, the more we uncover. That said, we’ve been pretty good at overcoming challenges so far. And any teething pains… well, they’re relatively short-lived, most of the time.

Nevertheless, there is something on my mind.

As someone whose work is fuelled by unpredictable pockets of creativity, the nine-to-five has always felt odd to me. If I search for the catalyst to a creative campaign, for example, chances are I won’t find it. It’ll find me, probably, and when I least expect it - some six to eight hours down the line.

If this kind of thing happens during a traditional working day, what happens? Well, I can’t sit there being unproductive, or the shiftwork gods will smite me down. So, I slug on through, feeling totally not-in-love with the dribble materialising on the page. Then, at 5pm, I pack up my things and go. On the walk home I feel a little ashamed. Then, I spend the whole evening thinking about how half-arsed that particular piece of work felt. That affects the next day, for sure - and though I’m not proud to say it, that’s happened before.

But now, honestly…

… I feel free. I’m safe in the knowledge that if I’m stuck, I can take a breather, and come back to the task with fresh eyes. For me, most of my inspiration comes late at night (it’s when I do my personal writing, and thinking, and so on). I love coasting on the winds of a creative moment, so I do - and as a result, my projects are brimming with energy. And because I’m positive about my work, I’m positive about doing it more, and more, and more. The nine-to-five, for me at least, is not just arbitrary - it’s a hindrance.

I’ll sum up by referring you to the fable of the industrious mouse, the moral of which is more or less: have fun, but be sensible, and work hard. To be fair, I know we do. The challenge, I suppose, is keeping it up.

I’ll keep you posted.