Coffee and Creativity

Last night I skipped the usual cup of coffee I enjoy during our home-group Bible study. Even though I had reduced the caffeine level in the mix I placed in my coffee maker, I did not want to have a sleepless night. I decided I’d have my cup of coffee for breakfast. I slept well, but thoughts I had while waking up caused me to choose a cup of decaf tea instead of coffee. 

I was enjoying the warmth of my down comforter (and postponing my exit from bed) when this little phrase popped into my mind. “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial” I immediately recognized those words from Scripture and knew how they applied to me.

I could have that cup of coffee for breakfast if I wanted to. It was a permissible pleasure, but would it be a beneficial pleasure? That depends on what I want to do. Caffeine, like adrenalin, energizes me and makes me feel euphoric, but it does not, as I used to believe, facilitate creative thought. A state of high arousal suppresses creative thought; a state of low arousal enhances it.

I’m glad I choose the decaf tea this a.m. because I am making some headway on my writing. I will have my cup of coffee when I plan some activity that will engage my muscles, such as vacuuming floors. 

Dreams and Routines

Last night I had two dreams. In the first dream, I was walking through a house in which every room
was filled with clutter; I felt confused and frustrated. The second dream took place in another house; everything was neat and orderly; I felt relieved and peaceful.

My dreams told me I needed to get more structure in my life. So, this morning I’ve been working on it. I started by opening a file on my computer labeled “morning routine.” I’d copied it last year from a website and had tried to follow it, but gave up. Looking at it, I realized some of the items on the list would work for me and some of them would not. I needed to “tweek” it a bit, remove some items and add others to create a system that will work for me.

How often, as a writer, I’ve tried to fit myself into someone else’s routine. Do I write every day? Do I write in the morning?  Do I take breaks? What is a legitimate break? When I try to follow someone else too closely, I end up living a dream filled with confusion and clutter.

 I can learn principles from other writers, but I must develop my own routine. This requires both faith and self-confidence. By God’s grace, I am growing in both of them.