NOTE: Good day from sunny Florida! Sorry I am a bit late with today’s blog. Stuff happens.
We have a bit of a tropical disturbance forming in the gulf (Helene) and we’ll be keeping an eye on that this week. It looks to be set for a head-on collision with our already battered panhandle region, but directions change hourly with these. Being in the center of the state, our main concerns are with the tornadoes that the outer bands spawn. We hope to be up and running by the time my Friday newsletter and “Sneak Peeks” launches with an update.
Deceptive Tactics…
Sorry if you were lured here by the title, expecting another political rant by another loose screw. But I learned early on to stay away from sharing thoughts on politics and religion, which I consider to be the same thing. Time to take a bit of a break from the endless news cycle and consider this…
Brain hemispheres play a distinctive role in how we tackle jobs.
If you have been reading my blogs, you will see that I occasionally refer to right and left brain tasks. It seems like a lifetime ago that I attended commercial art school and first learned the concepts of R-Mode and L-Mode. It seems our lives are made up with actions that fall within these two categories.
A FREE subscription now gets all of my Blog posts, News & Sneak Peeks posts.
I publish at least twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. Please subscribe to get them sent directly to your email as they are published.
If you enjoy what you read and would like to support my habit, I will still happily accept “Paid” subscriptions and tips through my “Buy Me a Coffee” account. I appreciate the encouragement.
The Right-Brain
To me, R-Mode (Right Brain) is the zone you achieve while engaged in creation. It is an almost Zen-like state that allows you to concentrate on the piece you are working on, while blocking out structured thought. Creation is conceived, worked out and completed here.
Getting into R-Mode can be tricky at times. Artists, makers, musicians and writers get “blocks” that can jam things up. When having this blockage I find a number of things to shake it loose.
Music - Let your soul set the score for your day. Whether you need shotgun blues, reggae or head-bangering metal pounding out of your speakers, it is your choice to set the mood..
Exercise - A bit of lawn-mowing or a mile walk will get juices flowing and help clear out the cobwebs that may be hindering your flow. The gray cells enjoy a bit of oxygen every now and then.
Cleaning - A shop clean-up always sparks a creative element in my mind. Organizing a woodbin finds forgotten pieces that cried out for saving, to be used on a particular, but delayed project. A dusting and vacuuming always clears my horizontal spaces, taunting me to fill them up again. Similar to a blank page for a writer.
Mundane Tasks - Repetitive actions are more meditative. Muscle memory and skills take over as I stand at my sanders, tapering a dozen pairs of chopsticks, or shaping 50+ hashi oki (table rests for chopsticks). This time allows my mind to work on problems related to other works. Even if it is not a conscious act.
Coming out of R-Mode can be like coming up, out of a safe cozy Hobbit hole into a bright, but harsh day on a bustling city street.
The Left-Brain
The Left brain is where facts, figures and taxes live. That includes (but not limited to):
Correspondence
Organization
Telephone calls
Webmastering
Spreadsheets
Sales
Bookkeeping
Inventories
Business forms
These are all items that must be kept up with to make your stay-at-home business thrive.
Balance Brings Sanity.
There are overlaps. I may be deep into R-Mode, carving a batch of name keychains when a call comes through requesting a quote for a specialized business card holder. So, I shift gears for a while. I do some math and estimations and respond as soon as possible. Then, I resume my Right-brain work.
Or, I may discover an error in an order being shipped out and have to stop the packaging process and open up the shop to re-carve it.
Our daily schedules naturally work out (almost to the minute) to half-n-half. If I spend 3 hours on the computer doing Left-Brained stuff, I also spend about 3 hours in the workshop creating with my Right. They are also relatively equal in importance.
Keeping both sides active and up to speed is the key to a well rounded routine and happy customers. It can help you attain peace and a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
The IRS will also thank you for your contribution (NOT!).
DustyNewt World ~ A map of where I have shipped my woodstuffs. See if your town is represented.
If you are enjoying what you see… I like it hot and black. 😉
How'd you get so smart!? This really helps. Thank you