Do you ever get so focused on your goals that you suddenly have no idea what you are looking at anymore?
You dream and hope and plan and then work hard, but sometimes you still end up careening right into your own viewfinder. Face squished up, focus distorted.
What I need is perspective. The illusion of depth, created by a frame, the arrangement of shapes on a flat surface. Perspective is necessary. Otherwise there are only two dimensions. Otherwise you live with your face squashed up against a wall, everything a huge foreground, of details, close-ups .
~Margaret Atwood
Squished up doesn’t leave much room for growth, or seeing our ideas through to completion–and I think it might even cause wrinkles.
But take a step back. Take a little time to discover the big picture once again.
Then breathe in deep.
Better keep yourself bright and clean. You are the window through which you must see the world.
~George Bernard Shaw
How do you get unsquished?
Coleen Patrick 
Hmmm – lovely picture. I love to go walking with my dog – preferable in the country where I don’t have to use my iPod for white noise against the sounds of the city.
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I like walking too–especially somewhere quiet!
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I have this problem too often to count. For me, talking to one of my friends always helps me get some perspective. Then I can actually see how far I’ve already come. I need to work on the stopping to celebrate part of goals.
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Yes! Stopping to celebrate–great reminder Emma 🙂
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This is so true, and such a timely topic! I feel like this past month I’ve lost my path and perspective. I know the causes, and they’re correctable, but still, losing your perspective and straying from where you really need to be are uncomfortable and stressful. I hope, during April, to get some real writing done!
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Here’s to real writing–I am raising a donut to that 🙂
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I used to get unsquished by taking a trip. Travel seemed to open up new areas of my brain and fill up others. Now, I think just stepping back, taking a break from my to do list and errands and just playing — real play not the “I’m doing this because I’m supposed to” kinda play.
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My son has been talking about wanting to go on vacation for the last few weeks–I think he’s been getting all squished up with the end of the school year rapidly approaching.
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You had to mention wrinkles? Now I’m really worried. Seriously, a walk outside is great for minor cases of detailitis, but a weekend away from home–and the laptop–helps with major cases of distorted focus. The weekend doesn’t have to be fancy, but it must include a new food, interesting landscape or city scene, people-watching, and time to kick back.
I love what you did with the close-up/regular-sized picture–perfect example of show, not tell.
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No worries, botox is the wrinkle unsquisher right? 🙂
I’m glad you like my show not tell–I liked it because it made for a very simple post!!!
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Stacy pretty much nailed it for me. I don’t necessarily go on a vacation, but just stepping away from the to-do list for a day, or even an afternoon can do wonders! Alternatively, decluttering it can help too – I go through and delete the things that have been hanging around on it for months (like an unsolicited request for a critique) and give myself permission not to do them. Only the must-dos stay, and it makes for a much smaller (and less stress-inducing) list.
Love the photo – I was really wondering what that red cap was before I scrolled down!
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I like to walk with the dog. Or sometimes the only thing that works is to sleep and sleep and sleep. And then eat ice cream for breakfast.
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HAHAHAHA! Have you been in my head lately?
I take a few slow breaths and pray for perspective. It works every time.
Thanks for your insight, Coleen!
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I don’t think so Emily–but sometimes before I take those slow breaths I forget where I am! So maybe lol
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Have I ever squished. 😉 I’m prone to those compulsive writing frenzies and have learned the hard way that over-fixating can go too far. I find that breaks help hugely, as does hiking, fresh air, food…
Love the Atwood quote, by the way.
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A good critique helps me get unsquished lol. A fresh perspective is awesome!
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Wrinkles…lol. I have to get out of my own head to get perspective and keep the bigger picture. Travel definitely helps! Getting away from being down in the trenches, remembering that there are other pleasures in life besides writing. Great analogy because we really do have to step out of the picture and look back at it with fresh eyes from a distance.
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Hi, Coleen! Luv the Atwood quote. Classical music unsquishes me 🙂
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I haven’t had that problem. I feel like I am working against the clock all the time since I started writing so recently and I havetocatchup!!!!!! I have always been a pretty organized person so that really helps. Breaks are good too! 🙂
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Beautiful pics. I find going on vacation and escaping away for the weekend always does the trick. Or getting out and getting active can destress me and leave me with a new perspective. Golf, canoeing, camping, swimming, walking the dog – whatever! It all helps…breath taking views also work splendidly! 🙂
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Love. Love, love, love. I totally get squished and then have to take a deep breath and see the big picture. Your visuals are great. I had no idea what the first pic was going to end up being. Fun surprise. It’s way too easy to get so caught up in the minutiae and not even see the glory all around. Great reminder.
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I go on vacation. Vacation always clears my befuddled mind and when I come home I have to remember what I was doing before I left. I have to find my goals again.
Very nice photo. Makes me want to escape right now.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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I’ve got some serious squishing going on, so I’ll be making some room for myself this month. And wrinkles? Eep, get them away from me!
(too late, LOL)
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You have a knack for writing the perfect posts. Seriously! This is just what I needed. I used to be better at this and lately it feels like I’m all sorts of squished. No fun. Usually some alone time helps me work things out. Alone and quiet and if I can work nature into the scenario then that’s even better!
BTW – this photo is beautiful! WOW! Thanks for sharing.
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Aw thank you Leigh! You are sweet 🙂
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Sometimes I have to accept I am gonna be squished. Multiple deadlines back-to-back = squished.
But then I plan for downtime afterward.
And I also commit to saying no to everything else until I get past the “squished” stage.
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I love this: “Squished up doesn’t leave much room for growth, or seeing our ideas through to completion–and I think it might even cause wrinkles.” Those other quotes are great, too. Sleep does wonders for me or some good music. And watching a funny movie always helps. Cool post, Coleen!
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Honestly, this sounds like a cop out, but I have no big picture except for ‘finish at least one revision’. That’s it. It’s all I think about 🙂
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No, sometimes I feel like I’m just doing one thing after another, like my big picture is actually one massive collage!!
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I really needed this. I’m all f’d up from my vacation – overstimulated by Vegas, feeling ashamed for not being as financially successful as my sister, feeling stupid for having been away from the goals I so desperately, DESPERATELY want. I need to just rebalance, or get unsquished as you say.
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oh no I get those I suck squishes–hate them. Here’s hoping you get your mojo back asap!
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Scheduling in me time is what helps me the most. An artist date, like a trip to a museum I’ve never seen before, or a walk focusing on taking pictures from different angles. Music – live or recorded. Reading a book outside my genre. A date with my DH – focusing on him, on us. In other words, scheduling time to re-focus on something or someone else.
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Me time–love it. Especially scheduling it, because that reminds me that it is important, necessary and ok to take me time.
Thanks Lynette!
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How do I get unsquished? I step back from everything related to writing for a couple of days. Sometimes I read, sometimes I watch movies, and sometimes I just nap a lot. 🙂
Very good post, Coleen. We should all print it and hang it in front of our desks. And blow up the beautiful picture of the great outdoors. 🙂
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Aw thank you Kristy! 🙂
I am with you on the stepping away from the writing. It’s like refueling!
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My little one was talking about being squished last night. How funny. I have definitely been feeling it. I think you got it. We need to slow down sometimes and breath. Take a step back. Sometimes hard to get ourselves to do, but better for us in the end.
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Taking the time to read a great book gets me unsquished. There’s something about being transported to another world that is so freeingand lifts the weight of the world from my shoulders.
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Uh, I don’t know if I’ve ever become unsquished! LOL! I think I’ve learned to live in the in-between to tell you the truth! Although there are precious moments of sanity, thank God! What an inspiring post Coleen! Thank you! 🙂
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I like to sit in the woods, where no one can see me, with paper and a pen. That way, my imagination starts to flow and I feel very free because I am, for once, truly on my own. I usually take music with me because it changes my mood – so I play something – from Tchaikovsky to an upbeat, club song – and see what comes to my mind 🙂
It also helps me to unwind and think about my life in private.
I know this will sound weird, but the best time is when it’s raining because you know then that you are in the hands of nature and no one else.
M x
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