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The Black Dog of Productivity
Apr. 14th, 2020 01:29 amI am absolutely overwhelmed by the concern expressed on Dreamwidth and especially on Facebook on my last post on the visitation of a certain Black Dog in my life. Old friends and new, people whom I haven't heard from in many years all came out to check that I'm OK (including a truly remarkable comment by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
amazinggoatgirl that just blew me away). It is that sort of affirmation that can keep people alive and motivated. I do wish to emphasise that the appearance of this canine apparition is rare to me, it is acute rather than chronic, situational rather than chemical, and perhaps unusually, it doesn't have the same effect on my productivity that it does with others. Even though I am feeling utterly hollow inside, I can go through the motions with requisite concentration and continue on the tasks at hand and, when it comes to being creative, the dog seems to even enhance my creative side (the content may very well be extreme, the timing utterly inappropriate, but it will wax lyrical), which apparently is something that analysis of Goethe's writings suggest. Pretty sure I'm not a Goethe, but maybe there are a few sparks in that direction. As the famous saying attributed to Aristotle:
Why is it that all those who have become eminent in philosophy or politics or poetry or the arts are clearly melancholics and some of them to such an extent as to be affected by diseases caused by black bile?
As evidence of this productivity, I spent most of Monday doing taxes, and ended with a music review, 65daysofstatic's latest album, replicr. The day before that ran a session of Eclipse Phase, and the day before that my Charlemagne's Paladins campaign. To deal with my modest health issues that were also in the last post I've taken up Silver Hydra's cheat mode, which has worked in the past when I've used in the short term - this one will be a ninety-day test. Initial indications are quite positive. In addition, I have arranged for the Annual General Meeting of the Victorian Secular Lobby next Saturday via Jitsi with constitutional lawyer Dr. Luke Beck as guest speaker. It must be also said that I've had some difficult conversations of late, things that needed to be said, although I'm not sure whether they have appeased or encouraged The Dog.
amazinggoatgirl that just blew me away). It is that sort of affirmation that can keep people alive and motivated. I do wish to emphasise that the appearance of this canine apparition is rare to me, it is acute rather than chronic, situational rather than chemical, and perhaps unusually, it doesn't have the same effect on my productivity that it does with others. Even though I am feeling utterly hollow inside, I can go through the motions with requisite concentration and continue on the tasks at hand and, when it comes to being creative, the dog seems to even enhance my creative side (the content may very well be extreme, the timing utterly inappropriate, but it will wax lyrical), which apparently is something that analysis of Goethe's writings suggest. Pretty sure I'm not a Goethe, but maybe there are a few sparks in that direction. As the famous saying attributed to Aristotle:Why is it that all those who have become eminent in philosophy or politics or poetry or the arts are clearly melancholics and some of them to such an extent as to be affected by diseases caused by black bile?
As evidence of this productivity, I spent most of Monday doing taxes, and ended with a music review, 65daysofstatic's latest album, replicr. The day before that ran a session of Eclipse Phase, and the day before that my Charlemagne's Paladins campaign. To deal with my modest health issues that were also in the last post I've taken up Silver Hydra's cheat mode, which has worked in the past when I've used in the short term - this one will be a ninety-day test. Initial indications are quite positive. In addition, I have arranged for the Annual General Meeting of the Victorian Secular Lobby next Saturday via Jitsi with constitutional lawyer Dr. Luke Beck as guest speaker. It must be also said that I've had some difficult conversations of late, things that needed to be said, although I'm not sure whether they have appeased or encouraged The Dog.
