When your brain won't work
so you let your hands take over
Today I sat down to write my newsletter, but my brain wouldn’t cooperate. “I have nothing to write about,” my brain said.
“Yes you do,” I replied. “We just had a really busy week that ended with leading a preschool church day camp! So much material there!”
“Okay, but…um…where do I start?”
“I don’t know. YOU’RE the brain. You tell me.”
My brain sighed. “Can’t we just skip today?”
“No! We just made it to 100 newsletters in a row! Why not shoot for 200?”
My brain groaned. My brain dug in its metaphorical heels. “Nope. You can’t make me.”
“Fine. But we’ve got to share something today.”
“Oh, I know!” my brain said. “We can just announce the winners from the giveaway we ran last week!”
“Well, duh, but we need more. And let’s stop using the word just so much!”
“I can help!” said an excited voice. It was my hands.
“Okay,” I said. “We do need a sketch for today. How about a little sketch of the fire pit from last night. That was a nice end to a busy week.”
“Sorry. That ain’t happening,” said my hands.
“Just the marshmallow, then?”
“LOL! Nope.”
“Fine. Just…do what you want.”
“Hurray! Give me that black pen.” Scribble, scribble, scritch, scratch.
“What are you doing?”
“Cross-hatching! It’s so fun!”
“Yeah, but you’re not drawing anything.”
“Yes I am! Just nothing specific,” said my hands with a scoff.
I must admit, I never realized hands could scoff.
So my brain and I quieted down and allowed my hands to do their thing. It was actually pretty chill. And when my hands were done, they had made…something.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” admitted my hands. “Maybe we should ask a psychologist?”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a similar situation. I have so much I could write about, but feel completely uninspired and unmotivated to write any of it. So I doodle, and that helps me relax and loosen up so I can write something. Even if it is something really silly like what I ended up with today. Can you relate?
I have a real vacation coming up, so hopefully that will help me recover from this recent season of busyness and overwhelm, leading to a more creative and productive rest of the summer.
Giveaway winners
Thank you to everyone who commented on last week’s newsletter, helping me celebrate publishing 100 issues of Snippets and Sketches in a row! This morning I drew the names for the three winners, and here they are:
Paperback picture book pack:
Hardcover of one of my picture books:
Copy of Mari in the Margins:
Congratulations to all the winners! I’ll reach out to you via direct message so I can get your prizes to you.
Books for people who just want to chill
Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger, illustrated by Matthew Cordell. A novel in verse that is simply a delight to read, whether you like fishing or not.
Most of the Better Natural Things in the World by Dave Eggers and Angel Chang. This almost wordless book is a visual treat, like a vacation around the world for your eyes.
Delights and Shadows by Ted Kooser. Nothing says relax like a reading of some Ted Kooser poetry and a nice cup of tea.
Watersong by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Richard Smythe. To me, a good rainstorm is one of the most relaxing things I can think of (as long as I’m not outside in it), and this book captures the feeling of a rainstorm perfectly.
Oh man. I feel this post deep in my soul.
Good luck! Hoping for some brain-rest for you and me and all the others in the same boat soon!
Great post! Very relatable! This really spoke to me.