Doesn't work often feel as if we were shoveling a huge pile of sand from one place to another, and then right back again! A large proportion of our time seems to be spent doing more or less brainless drudgery - mostly perspiration, with little creativity or inspiration. We often think that we'd love to be more creative, more in control, less constrained!
However, the other extreme, where one's work is entirely creative, with little or no structure, such as a mystery writer, could be equally if not more stressful. Authors often have to bring strict structure into their lives in order to create. Without the structure, they'd get nothing accomplished. We've all been there.
So the old saying about work being 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration may actually be optimal. Often times, if one does one's work mindfully, even the most common, routine work will reveal subtle patterns that are interesting and perhaps inspire innovation. Such patterns are too easily missed by those whose primary occupation, sadly, is telling themselves how bored they are, how much they hate their jobs, and when they will retire.
Sitting meditation is an amazing practice in that it trains one to transcend conventional boredom, to discover what the silence on the other side has to teach.
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| "Agassiz Ice" by Gordon Reeve, Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg http://www.winnipegarts.ca |
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