Leading a creative life is not an easy thing to do. And in the landscape of the typical week, Monday mornings would have to be the least creative time imaginable, for both paid work and what I call 'lifework'. This concept of lifework is one that I have invented to encompass all of those things that make up the work of my inner passions - as distinct from the work of the day job. All manner of things qualify as lifework, from my personal writing in this blog and for creative purposes; research and reading; music making and even design work relating to my apartment or my bush block out in the forest. These last two are wishful thinking at the moment - there is no money to be renovating or making new houses, however modest - but they are a fitting conduit for my passion and they engage my imagination. It doesn't hurt to dream.

The day job is intellectually stimulating, but it remains difficult to fit in the lifework around the day work. Part of the difficulty would seem to be the different parts of the brain required for urban design and creative writing; the two activities are not really complementary. On the other hand they are not diametrically oppositional, either, so perhaps I shouldn't complain. It is just difficult to motivate for hours of writing after eight hours of urban design and master-planning earlier the same day. It remains far easier to just sit in front of the television, or read a book. I am mindful that this complaint is suspiciously like that in the previous post, where I discussed the problem as being one of 'writer's block'. The challenges are many; the solution remains, as always, to continue to make art, despite the discomfort and distraction.

Neil Gaimin, in his fantastic speech to the graduates of the Philadelphia University of the Arts, claims that the answer to all of life's problems is to 'make good art'. Dog gets run over? Make good art. House burns down? Make good art. And so on. The video can be found here.

Mr. Gaimin's advice is some that I will try to take to heart: particularly now that Monday morning has become Monday afternoon, and the week is well and truly underway. Time to hunker down and get on with it: time to Make Good Art.