by Justin Gild
So, When is the Best Time to Create?
Let’s first address Captain Obvious, who’s shouting that every creator is different and works best in their own way. Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious; we realize that. However, it doesn’t help us reach an objective, useful conclusion, which is what we’re trying to do here.
My girlfriend loves to write early in the day. In fact, she has a virtual writer’s group that meets every morning. It’s a good strategy to force her to write every day, and practically, it works well too. My podcast partner and best friend, who’s also a writer (more about that later), has what he calls the “Jack Reacher fitness theory.” Jack Reacher, a special ops superhero, would eat a big meal whenever he had the opportunity because he never knew when the next meal would come. My partner applies this to fitness: you exercise at the first opportunity because inevitably, things will come up later in the day to prevent you from exercising. The same concept can be applied to creating, especially if you’re not getting paid to do it. If you can do it early, get it out of the way. If you’re a morning person, even better.
This is somewhat at odds with yours truly. I’m a night owl. Something about the peace and mystery of the night, and knowing that other people are sleeping, appeals to me. That’s when my creative juices are flowing. Fortunately, being a musician, this has never been an issue for me professionally. I rarely have to work early in the morning, so I can take time at night to create. I want to address the other night creators. If anyone has ever told you, “You can achieve the same thing if you condition yourself to work during the day,” they’re wrong. Yes, you can condition yourself to work during that time, but it isn’t the same. Don’t feel bad about how you’re naturally wired. The question I often get asked as a night creator is, “How do you work with other creators?” Well, the answer is I have to suck it up and find the juices at other times of the day. I love working with others. Having to work with others triggers a different creative mechanism. I highly recommend this for night creators, especially if you’re in a slump. When you have the energy of other people and a limited amount of time, your brain will surprise you.
I’m not going to touch on the whole “work-life balance” issue for creators because that’s an article for another time. However, I will reference my podcast partner, who is a published author in both the health and wellness sector and in comic books. He’s what I call a “dribs and drabs” writer. While commuting to and from his job, he’ll do some writing. If he’s waiting in line at Ottomenelis to purchase overrated steaks, he’ll do some writing. He’ll use any small window to write. At first, I was very much against this. You can’t write that way! You need to light a scented candle, say a mantra, consume your substance of choice, get completely in the zone, and then you’re able to write! Of course, the reality is most people are busy AF, so you have to make use of every extra second. The dribs and drabs method can actually be invaluable. It doesn’t replace sitting down without distractions and whatever equipment you use to work, but it sure helps—especially with the dreaded final 10%, which we’ll touch on in a second. So yes, I’ve come around on the dribs and drabs method and have even used it a bunch myself.
Now, onto the dreaded 10%: the biggest hurdle for all creators and the reason why work never gets finished. Whether you’re working on a song, a novel, or whatever, most of it flows out of you like… well, whatever flows out of you—you get the idea. It’s easy to create when it’s fun. But then you get to the last little bit, and it’s no longer fun. It’s trying to fix that one line in the second verse that just doesn’t sound right or a plot point that lacks continuity. In a way, it’s more problem-solving than creating. Learning how to jump over this hurdle is a skill in and of itself. So what’s the best way to tackle this? In keeping with our theme of WHEN to create, I’ve found that a great strategy is to finish the last 10% at an atypical time. If you’re an early bird, your brain is wired to create how it normally does during that time. But “normal” often won’t cut it for the last 10% since it uses a completely different muscle. This leads to creators driving themselves crazy trying to finish the last 10% the same way they did the rest of their work. Maybe the dribs and drabs method could come in handy. Maybe the early bird can become the night owl just on the rare occasions when they have to finish the final 10%. Give it a try.
Objectively, the best time to create is some marriage of natural inclination and practicality. Yes, Captain Obvious, we see you rolling your eyes. But it’s important to note that if you’re able to incorporate some different times and strategies, it can be invaluable to you as a creator.