"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well (or cleaned well) …" (Virginia Woolf, with my slight addition)
I was in the midst of trying to get important (and then deeper, longer-term projects) finished this past weekend (and really, for the past month).
(my "home office," as a "during" shot during cleaning. Note the feline assistant.)
Everything showed it - my own fatigue level (finshing a major Britten opera surely contributed!), as well as the amount of things that weren’t “completed” (open circuits) …
Things getting added to the “list” before things were falling away.
In the midst of all of this, I was working on keeping my desktop clearer (the one on my computer, as well as my literal ones in home and office) and - by accident - my desktop got saved to iCloud but did not save to the actual *visual* desktop.
After panicking for two seconds, I realized that everything had saved to the cloud … meaning, the computer had more available memory … AND - the desktop was …
CLEAR.
(... what my desktop looks like now ...)
And now, it is such a joy to open the computer and see only two folders, which are my next two conducting projects.
These days also mark a time in my calendar when I have more podium engagements in the immeidate future than playing ones. I suppose one is always striking a balance, and I think mine might (?) be right at the 50/50 mark.
At any rate, the clarity already has me feeling like I can do more deep “farming” work (as a beloved teacher this past summer calls it) and I feel a good sense of balance with my daily work on the tasks in front of me as well.
Let’s see how long this lasts …
“It seems as if an age of genius must be succeeded by an age of endeavour; riot and extravagance by cleanliness and hard work.” (Virginia Woolf).