Grab the Low Hanging Fruit
Are you fatigued? The experts are saying, the collective adrenaline has worn off and now we’re all just wiped. I feel it myself.
There is grief happening in the arts community; we are grieving our industry as we knew it. If you’re feeling really sad, you’re not crazy. And if you’re feeling like you don’t deserve to be sad, have a listen to this episode of Brené Browns’s podcast which is about comparative suffering.
For those of you who are feeling up to it, and want to keep chipping away at, (or begin, or complete) a CREATIVE PROJECT* project, I have a juicy bit of wisdom for you:
GO FOR THE LOW HANGING FRUIT.
What is Low Hanging Fruit?
Low Hanging Fruit (or LHF) is defined as "targets or goals which are easily achievable and which do not require a lot of effort" (Urban Dictionary).
When it comes to a Creative Project, going for the LHF means choosing to work on the project that seems the most fun, the easiest, that you’ve already made headway on, that requires the fewest resources, that has the fewest impediments associated with it. It means...
Somethings worth having from come without a fight. They come with ease and saying yes and methodically working away at them with low pressure and stakes.
Just because there isn’t huge struggle doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile.
TAKE THE EASY ROUTE
TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE
In this time of exhaustion and endless screen time, a Creative Project can do the soul some good. Give yourself the gift of reaching for the LOW HANGING FRUIT. And have an easeful time creating.
Having trouble deciding which project to work on? Choose the lowest hanging fruit first. See that through to completion and then move onto the next lowest.
Feel worried that if a project isn’t hard or challenging then it’s a cop out? Or, do you believe that real art means suffering? Do an EXPERIMENT and try reaching for that LHF
Want to create something but you're experiencing a huge amount of resistance (i.e. boredom, self-doubt, procrastination, fear, feeling too busy, overwhelmed etc)? SELECT the LHF. Start easy. Start in pleasure.
Here's WHY I LOVE LHF, especially right now:
Our resistance is high and our energy is low – we’ve got other things crowding our minds, we don’t need our creative projects to add unnecessary stress.
LHF requires the fewest amount of resources (time, money, people) which is good because we’re in short supply. If you feel like you need more resources, ask yourself what version or aspect of the project you can do with no resources. There’s something.
LHF involves the fewest number of hurdles to jump over! Maybe you’ve already done a lot of work on the project? Enjoy being half-done. Enjoy a sense of flow and accomplishment as you move forward with it.
Everything I do inevitably takes 8 times longer than I expect it to. Everything gets complex (just think about your relationships with people you had terrific honeymoon phases with). LHF is not without challenges down the line – you’ll be learning and growing even if it feels too easy early on.
“Give yourself the satisfaction of having finished something.” Sheldon Rosen said that to me. Take his advice. Enjoy the dopamine hit and enjoy the fruits of your labours (too many fruit metaphors!?)
A few tips to help you with your LHF Creative Project:
Choose ONE thing and see it through to completion. What you learn by going through that process you can apply to all your other projects.
Remember, by choosing one project you’re not killing the others, you’re being nice to you brain and nervous system by doing one thing at a time.
Done is better than perfect.
If you start to spin out, ask yourself, “What does this look like if it’s easy?”
If your creative project is something that will take weeks to complete, for instance a writing project, commit to working on it for a minimum of 10 minutes every day.
If you do your 10 min, great. You can always spend longer but you’re not obligated to. Just be consistent and let the cumulative effect carry you.
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* If you need a little clarification here's how I define CREATIVE PROJECT
A Creative Project can be anything from planting some seeds in soil, to a bit of DIY, to writing a story, composing a piece of music, making a collage, creating an online class or a marketing funnel to revamping your website.
A Creative Project can be something that connects to your personal, artistic or professional life – it can be work or hobby or something in between.
A Creative Project is something you want to do that involves you using a certain amount of your creative energy and problem-solving skill set. It has to be something you WANT to do. And it doesn’t hurt if it’s something that you know you’ll feel terrific when it’s done.