Watering The Garden

Provided they are sited in partial shade, with two good soakings per week its is possible to keep our plants alive even in the summer months. With three waterings the plants begin to really flourish; only the plants with no shade at all need more than that; for cacti and aloe vera, even once a week might be enough.

Could it be that for creative work it is just the same? Some projects only need occasional attention in ideal conditions to keep them alive; others will need attention every other day, at the very least, for them to flourish. At times it may be possible to get away with a little less, but too much neglect and our creativity won’t necessarily die but nor will it bloom…

Perhaps it’s not so much a question of discipline as attention. We don’t have to discipline ourselves to water our plants; we simply keep an eye on them and watch for new shoots/flowers/fruit or wilting/disease. Just by observing we know what work we must do and so we do it. What if we were to behave that way in our creative life? Perhaps nourishing our creative garden is simpler than we think.