I've a number of quirks that are quite conducive to getting things done. But there are others which fall into superstition, and I am doggedly mid-ridding myself of these compulsions. For instance, I like to start big tasks on the clock at even intervals: on the hour or on the half-hour. But what I failed to take lucidly into account for many years is, while time has a purpose, fixating to arbitrary numbers when they have no end impact on what I do is wasteful. After all, a minute's a minute, no matter where in the day it is — and if it can be cloistered with other minutes and concentrated on, a spark of BRILLIANCE! might come through.
"You can't force genius," they say. But you can certainly document it. Many of my best ideas come in the shower, because it's a relaxing (and clean) environment. As I've lamented before, being wet isn't exactly compatible with many recording devices, so I take quick showers and make mad dashes to scribble down my thoughts. After all, how can you do something if you don't remember what it is?
In my mind, I see it like a busy train station. I don't make the trains run on time, but there are many bits of life milling around the station that can catch my mind and keep me occupied until a train (symbolic of the next great artistic undertaking I'll experience) arrives. And to be observant, closely so, enriches the probability of my appreciation on the journey to come.
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A waterproof notebook, and a pencil, work very well.
Time documentation or "hours" ect. is a completely artificial construct for mans benefit and as such have no importance beyond cross individual coordination. Be Here Now gets things done.
Deciding to NOT think about Torley dashing naked and wet from the shower to scribble down thoughts. Also, not thinking of a green penguin.
Hmmm. A dry-erase marker to write on the tiles? wipes right off (honest, Ravenelle!). Voice-activated dictation recorder? Bathroom valet who knows shorthand?
Could be problematic, I agree. But long luxurious showers are so NICE! Ah well.
@Ordinal That sounds so simultaneously high-low-tech like one of those Discovery Channel divers! Maybe it's time to get one of those astronaut pens.
@Herne I still find Daylight Savings Time weird.
@Caliburn HAHA quite a sight I assure you. I tried the voice recorder before, shower makes too much noise and I should be more selective. Had dry erase markers that stained the tiles so that was a no-go
. The experimentation continues!
Actually, I did try using a "space pen", but – as the old and apocryphal joke about the Russian and US space programmes goes – in the end a pencil was more effective (and can be erased to re-use the notepad paper).
One can write directly under a running tap and certainly in a shower without trouble – the pads are meant for sailors and other folk who need to record things in conditions of spray. I bought one for this express purpose as I, too, often seem to think of things in the shower; I keep it by the shampoo.