clean slates & fake jazz
work & life, combined
“After being away for a long enough period of time, when we come back we just may be able to see it as if for the first time. This is the practice of cleaning the slate. The ability to create as an artist and experience the work as a first-time viewer. Dropping baggage from the past of what you thought you wanted the work to be. The mission is to be in the present moment with the work.”
Rick Ruben recently posted this and for the first time, in over a decade, I’ve had the pleasure of doing this. I’m in between jobs which allowed me to have a 5-week break. At first, that scared me. I thought it might make me rusty, that I might lose my drive or interest. Instead, it refreshed me. It opened space for learning, creativity, new ideas, and thoughts.
When you’re deep in the grind you can get lost in simply checking items off of a list. But when there is no list (or you look at the list differently) you can think freely and do something much more meaningful and authentic. Having this time has been so valuable to me. I wish we all could experience a long enough break every year to clean the slate.
📖 Reading: ’It Ends With Us’ by Colleen Hoover
I just started this last night and I was instantly sucked in. The character immediately felt like my friend. I’m making an assumption here but I think the title comes from stopping generational trauma, which is the hope for us all.
📺 Watching: The Great British Baking Show: Holidays
Of course, I’m watching this right now. Aren’t you? My last name translates to “baker” and I imagine my ancestors would be proud of my enthusiasm for the craft.
👩🍳 Cooking: Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies by Allison Roman
These cookies aren’t new. They’ve had a cult-ish following for a few years and although I’ve had them before, I’ve never made them myself — until now. DAMN. They really are a 10/10, and I prefer the way I make them compared to others. I always take cookies out of the oven early because I want them to be as cookie-doughy as possible. I also replace vanilla extract with brown sugar extract and it makes every recipe 10x better.
🎶 Listening: Berlioz
“If Matisse made house music” — I think his bio sums it up perfectly. Ya know, I’ve heard some hate from “traditional” jazz lovers about this dude. Calling it jazz for TikTok, or jazz for ordinary people. I can see where they’re coming from but this is just evolution. You can’t stop it, so maybe try to enjoy it.
QUOTE THAT HIT
Instead of asking myself ‘Have I worked hard enough to rest?’, I’ve started asking ‘Have I rested long enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?’.
- Nicola Jane Hoobs