Why Does This Happen?

When I am in finals, or when there is a terrible, punishing deadline, I often get a burst of energy for creativity. I sit down to research something, or to write a paper, and my mind presents me with an idea for how to make a little game for Jonah, or sudden inspiration about what to paint on the canvas that's been sitting on my shelf for weeks.

"Group Dynamics paper. Due Monday." I say.

"Let's draw octopuses! Or seahorses! Those are hard..." says my mind. "We could paint them on those tiny canvases you found."

I used to be irritated about this. And I still am. Why can't this happen at a calmer time? A time when I can concentrate? And yet I know—I will take the smallest hint of creativity gratefully whenever it wants to come to me.

And maybe it is a little bit about the pressure—my spirit wants to throw off the coercion and it scrambles around to find something compelling to me to distract me.

Calling it "my spirit" instead of "my mind" makes it sound a bit less crazy. Ok. Octopuses, then research paper. Ciao!