I recently read a post titled Pessimist, Optimist, Realist and it started me wondering what makes people tick? What makes them choose how they are going to live their lives and how they make life defining decisions. For a strong financial future, a game plan would be a great thing to have. Walking that straight line to reach a five or ten-year goal has its benefits, but what makes people live their whole lives like this? I’m talking outside of … Read More
via Ramblin Ann’s Blog
After making my comment at Anne’s post, I kept thinking about the subject and decided to talk more about it here, too. This has always been a subject that fascinates me, and I’d love to hear your take on it, too.
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So, according to my comment, I’m a ‘planner’.
But on the other hand, there are times in life I don’t plan. The first draft of my book, for example, and the second one is also being written without planning during the first draft. If I try to dictate where it goes, it goes nowhere. If I open up and let it flow, it goes wherever it wants to go.
After that, I will convert to the planning mode again, though, and weed out what doesn’t work, add in more of what does, and try to get it all shaped up to something organized enough to call a manuscript.
Same thing happens with my photography. I just create first and plan later. When I’m out taking pictures, I usually don’t have anything in particular in mind, I just walk around to see what catches my eye. Once the photos are taken, I go home and edit. Crop out what seems unneccessary, accentuate the things I like and get rid of parts I don’t. That part is the ‘planning’ part.
I call the aimless, creative drifting part of life floating like dandelion seeds. My ability to drift is a lot like the leaves floating down the creek. They don’t always do such a good job. Some leaves are better built for it than others. It’s a very difficult thing for me to allow myself to do.
But maybe there’s a time for both approaches in life.
I can drift. If the creek is headed where I want to be.
