A writer friend shared the video above on Facebook this morning. Whether you were a fan of Mitch Hedberg’s comedy or not, there are some moments in the video that should hit home if you write. But there’s something in the video for anybody — writer or not.
For those who don’t have time to watch the video (or for those just not interested), there’s a part where his widow discusses the importance Hedberg put into daydreaming and setting up his life so he had to time just sit and think. (And write.)
I know so many people who feel hurried, but who still have time to reply to text messages or Facebook updates instantly. They talk about TV shows they watch in the same breath they talk about not having time.
Time is usually there if you set your life up to have a little, here and there, to do the things you really want to do.
What Sort of Life Do You Live?
I previously reviewed Haruki Murakami’s, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. One of the things that struck me most in the book was how he ran a busy jazz club and still made time to write. How did he do it all? Simple…Murakami said he–
“…placed the highest priority on the sort of life that lets me focus on writing.”
There’s another moment in the Hedberg video that shows him backstage at a gig, just relaxing and writing. He suffered from severe stage fright, but in the clip, he looks incredibly content.
He set up his life to allow him time to write and think. Haruki Murakami — same thing.
If they can do it, how about you?
There’s conversely never enough time and always time. It all depends on priorities — how important is writing to you, really? Because if it’s important enough, you find a way to make time. If it’s not… well, TV *is* pretty decent nowadays…
Shawn: Yep! Some good TV, and there’s nothing wrong with watching. Unless, of course, you watch a fair amount and complain that you have no time to write, or do other things.
With Netflix, I rarely watch what’s on TV right now. People say, “Just record stuff on your DVR,” but we don’t have a DVR. Don’t really see the point for us because we’d probably watch more TV then. So…when the mood strikes, Cynthia and I will pick a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime and watch it in chunks. Then there are the shows I watch on my own, like Louie. A friend told me the last season of Kenny vs. Spenny is streaming, and I think Netflix has the other seasons…so…that’s it–I’ll watch K vs. S. We also find ourselves watching blocks of things on YouTube, lately: Vlogbrothers, Nerdist Celebrity Bowling, and TableTop.
People at past day jobs don’t get not having a DVR or not watching more than one thing. But…if I watched all the TV I might want to watch, I wouldn’t write. It really comes down to priority–writing and a couple other things before TV.
I get that TV, video games, and movies can be a way to just zone out and relax, so that’s cool if it’s your thing. But if you watch more than an hour or two a day and say you don’t have time to write (or do other things you want to do) … well, you really do at that point.
I’ll throw down a 6-8 hour TV-watching session now and then, but if I end up occupied with other things like television or putzing around online, I have only myself to blame, and I’d never say, “I don’t have time.” In my case — with rare exceptions, like deadlines at the day job — I always have time to write a couple hours a day if I want.