There is a crucial component to the creative process that feels frustratingly ironic when you are in the throes of bringing something to life, and that is: leisure.
You can’t freely create from a place of love if you are running around trying to control the outcome.
And yet, things have to get done.
I struggle with this tug and pull constantly, it seems:
To create something beautiful, you must surrender.
You must let go of watching the clock and checking boxes (and inboxes) and using every moment “productively”.
Yes, certain things must be done. But they can be done calmly, with a sense that there is enough time for everything.
Leisure is believing that to be true.
A few weeks ago, I was in real danger of forgetting that leisure is not a luxury but a necessity. And that leisure is not something reserved for the rich and carefree, but rather accessible to everyone who knows how to be still.
I was struggling with stillness.
But then, quite unexpectedly, we had the opportunity to visit Carlton Landing, a beautiful lakeside community on Lake Eufala that feels like a cozy beach town, but in Eastern Oklahoma.
We had never been before, and immediately upon arrival, I started breathing more easily.
As an Okie, I couldn’t believe this was just a two-and-a-half hour drive from central Oklahoma, let alone … in Oklahoma. We felt so removed, in the best way.
We stayed for three nights, and while we could have stayed a lot longer, it was just the leisurely getaway we all needed.
Our family enjoyed every moment of our stay there (from the s’mores in the private courtyard to the community’s pools to the sandy beach to the game closet to the vintage game consul to the Amy Grant cassette tape that THREW ME BACK).
I was feeling overwhelmed before we hit the road, but I left feeling refreshed and determined to bring back a sense of daily leisure into my life.
I want the lesson learned here to be that leisure is not something you store up in large quantities to get you through the hard-working times.
Rather, it is something to practice in your daily life. There are so many opportunities in a day to feel that time is passing slowly, and that everything is going to be just fine.
I don’t want to miss them.
Here are two vacation takeaways from this trip:
(Find information about where we stayed, as well as a video, and a discount code for your own stay, below.)
+ I am a morning person, even on vacation. One of my favorite things to do on vacation is get up earlier than the rest of my family and find a beautiful place outside to drink my coffee. Since our last vacation, we’ve moved to the country, and it struck me harder this time: why is this only a vacation ritual?? Since we got home, I’ve enjoyed more mornings on the back porch with my coffee, and musing over the animal happenings going on in my wooded backyard (the commotion those forest friends make is startling and delighful!).
+ This was really funny: before we left (and because the trip was fairly last-minute), I was making a mental to-do list of the work-related things I needed to do one day during our stay, as well as a list of things I didn’t want to forget about when we got back. The list was weighing me down and I kept telling myself to let it go. I sent myself two emails, one to open during our stay, and one for the day we got back. When the day arrived for me to open the first email, I was ready to read a long list of all the things I had surely forgotten about, that would bring me back to reality. When I opened it, I smiled. It was a short list, and I had already done most of it that morning. On Friday when I opened the second email, I laughed. These were all the things I thought I would forget, that felt like SUCH a big deal when I wrote them? Perspective is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Clearly, I need more of it.
I’m already plotting ways we can go back … with my family, but also maybe for a bookcation with friends, a writer’s retreat or a creative retreat? Would you want to join me??
Do you have any tips for practicing leisure in your daily life? If you are struggling, my friend Jennifer L. Scott is really good at this … just fyi. Check out her beautiful YouTube channel for all kinds of inspiration on how to elevate daily living.
I’ll be exploring the idea of leisure and creativity more in the future. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Information on where we stayed in Carlton Landing, Oklahoma:
I am not being paid to share my opinions. This vacation was such a gift to my family (we did receive a generous discount), and because we enjoyed our stay so much and our hosts were so beyond gracious, I wanted to share the details if you are looking for a mini getaway not far from home (if you are in Oklahoma). Or, if you are coming from far away! (It’s worth the drive. Just do some research on grocery stores in the area as options are limited.)
See all the details of the lodge and book your stay HERE and use the code KINDRED to get 10% off your booking. The code is good for six months, but you can book your stay up to one year out (with a minimum two-night stay requirement).
I do hope you get to go. But if not, drink your coffee outside or contemplate the beauty of ‘a rose in bud’ with me, won’t you?
See the reel I shared on Instagram of our stay.
Keep in touch with the Lodge on Instagram, and get lots of good tips for your trip, @thelodgeontwinklelane.
