Sometimes you have to rethink your creativity strategies. When it comes to writing we would normally start writing blog posts in Word. This one however was conceived by hand. Why? Well, it’s to do with the lack of power, and we’re not talking willpower, we’re talking electricity. If you are not in South Africa you might not know, but for us living here it’s a daily nightmare. It’s called ‘load shedding’, similar to that of ‘load dumping’. Apart from a ‘crappy’ name, the implications of this situation on small businesses in our country are uncountable. 1-3 times a day the country’s electricity supply shuts off for 2,5hrs in different areas due to a higher demand than capacity (or due to a couple of faulty power stations…).
While sitting in the dark, thinking about what needs to get done, all the pressing deadlines, and the fact that nothing can be done without electricity. We have become so dependent on it that it is difficult to live and to make a living without it.
So what can we do or what should we do with these ‘short breaks’ sponsored, or shall we say ‘powered’ by Eskom? Instead of complaining, which will do very little unless the government actually starts caring, let’s turn it around and make something positive out of the situation.
Below are 10 suggestions of ‘how to recharge your creativity without electricity’ (and things you can do while waiting for the power to come back on).
1. Clean your desk (you might be lucky, your best idea might be hiding under all that paperwork)
2. Write (a blog post, random thoughts, tomorrows to-do-list, questions to a problem, or perhaps a note to the powers that be thanking them for your recharge time)
3. Draw and doodle (using pen and paper of course)
4. Read a book (one that you have to turn pages, not swipe – the dictionary is a good one)
5. Exercise (run, cycle, walk, surf – it’s a fact that exercise can make you more creative)
6. Play with Lego or Play-Doh
7. Experiment, create artworks using any mix of materials, cut, glue, paint, paper, fabric, nails, sawdust
8. Have a chat with someone (without the distractions from peripheral noise)
9. Try the a raw diet
10. Devise a plot on how you plan to take over the world (shouldn’t take more than 2,5hrs)
There you have it, 10 simple and easy suggestions to keep you unafraid of the dark.
