Taking Time for Turtles
Refilling vs. running
I have several walks I go on regularly: the one that goes by the twin black and white spotted cats, the one that goes by the house with the indoor/outdoor cat that lets me pet it, and the one down to the pedestrian bridge over the river that runs through the city. While I do love a good visit with a cat, even through a window, it’s the river one that’s my favorite.
The river walk is especially nice in the evenings right now, when it stays light until around 8:00pm. This particular time of the day is good for catching birds fishing for their dinner and turtles swimming languidly. Once recently, I even saw a river rat1diving in and out of the water.
This walk is longer than either of the cat walks. Clocking in at about three miles, it takes more than an hour at a nice leisurely pace. Recently, I had a creative project to work on, one with a very close deadline2. I wanted to go for a walk after dinner and immediately felt drawn to the river route— except for that project. Obviously, one of the shorter walks would be a more practical decision.
And yet...
I felt drawn to the rush of the water and the smell of the slightly swampy air where the turtles swim in the brackish water. There was the lure of possibly seeing a falcon with a fish like I did that one other time. Perhaps the river rat would appear again. This little pocket of nature in the middle of the city, that I’m so lucky to live walking distance from, was calling. It was impractical, but also felt necessary.
So I walked to the river.
I listened to the water, smelled the air that reminds me of summers at the river I grew up near. There was no falcon; instead, I watched a heron spear a tiny silvery fish and swallow it whole (a feat that seems nearly impossible given their narrow necks). I counted five turtles swimming.
And then I walked home and sat down and did the creative project.
Perhaps it wasn’t such an impractical walk, after all. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Sometimes we need to take the longer walk, go for that coffee with a friend, watch that movie, wander through that gallery. Sure, sometimes it’s procrastination, but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes that inspiration in the form of art, nature, or community is just what we need to nurture our creativity.
Which is where discernment has to come in. When we’re feeling pulled away from a creative thing, it’s worth asking: am I running or am I refilling? If there is fear and avoidance, then that’s where that discipline kicks in, but if you’re just temporarily less than inspired or maybe just plain tired, well then— go for that walk and count those turtles.
Community Conversations
Sharing a few recent posts from members of the Healthier Hustle community:
The most recent edition of Field Notes from
atSaturn Returns from
at (also, happy May birthday to Jem!)Juggling from
at (who also has a new historical mystery up for pre-order!)
Mindful Moment
Also from our community of readers, I love these meditations with
:Squirrel of the Week
Last week, I attended a super fun, local conference (rva/tech’s ProductFest). One of my favorite parts of the day (second only to seeing some of my amazing students pitch on the main stage) was this interactive art exhibit. You entered a prompt on the old Commodore computer, chose a theme (mine was cyberpunk), and then a Polaroid and story were generated for you. You can read my squirrel’s whole story here.
Would love to hear about your “turtle”— that favorite thing you do to refill your creative well or rest your brain for a bit?
I grew up hearing the phrase "like a river rat" in reference to all the time my friends and I spent playing in the water (everything from the actual river to backyard kiddie pools). However, I didn't realize that they actually existed until my recent encounter.
This post you are reading right now may or may not have been that creative project.
Thanks for the shoutout, Mary Chris! The riverwalk sounds sublime. I love the idea of counting the turtles, the new version of smelling the roses.