THOUGHTS ON BEING PRODUCTIVE - by Jeremy
Film director David Lynch (RIP) believed that all humankind draws, or “fishes”, from the same pool of consciousness. So, my idea, whatever it may be, is not Mine, but everyone’s. It could have been You that caught the fish I’m currently holding. And some people are better at fishing than others. And some people independently catch the same fish. But everyone can do it. And every once in awhile a complete novice happens to catch a big, impressive fish, and that’s always cool.
Lynch’s movies are surreal and difficult to decipher. One time at a Q&A interview thing on YouTube a fan asked Lynch what one of his films “meant.” And Lynch asked the fan back, “What do you think it meant.” And the fan said IDK David I just asked you. And David said that because we fish from the same pool of consciousness, your interpretation of my film is, truly, no more and no less Legitimate than the explanation of the guy who made the thing.
This concept leads him to talking about Routines. You see, you have to expend brain power to go fishing. But when you’re doing a routine – say, brushing your teeth, cleaning your room, driving to work – you don’t expend much brain power at all, because you’ve done that task a million times, and now it’s not important or memorable, thus, saving more room for sweet sweet Fishing.
But I have experience that contradicts all that. I noticed that I do not come up with ideas I like by sitting at a desk with a pencil in a peaceful air conditioned room, ya know. I come up with ideas I like when I’m on the road, driving, and I’m thinking about being late to work, and there’s traffic, and I just spilled my coffee a little, that’s when I have a good idea, right at that exact moment in the car.
A while ago I said “let’s take a week off, just chill and something cool will hit me eventually.” I am now in Week 3/4 of Chilling and I feel not one iota closer to a big fish, or small fish. What if this is it? It’s not writers block I just dont give a fuck right now/anymore.
And then I realized this is how Life with a capital L happens. This frustration I have, this is how people find themselves in new places, absorbing new stimuli, meeting new people, experiencing novel things, the people on my social media, the people in cars on the highway – nameless – my friends and family who are forever boarding planes and going on daytrips – they are coveting, just like me, they are searching for something for their minds alone, and they know it’s out there, and the effort sometimes feels torturous. I CAN ONLY ASSUME.
So I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know what harbors brighter creativity: spontaneity, or routine? I think the real, real answer is this: It’s better to believe in something ridiculous than to not believe in anything at all.
