chaotic creative energy part i

Since moving to NYC almost two years ago – quiet moments have become a luxury; it is difficult to manage my time and energy; with a million different stimuli from every direction, I have found it even more important than ever to master the art of knowing when to listen to my thoughts and when to step out of my head – this is not Hanover or Houston where the days and nights merge in and out effortlessly

In New York, there are happy hours, sad hours, taxis honking and waking me up at least a dozen times a night and numerous times when I am stopped on the street by strangers to ask if I would like to adopt a pet in a different continent or something along those lines

The chaotic energy of the city fills me with enthusiasm and possibility but also reminds me of the importance of simply being and finding quiet moments to put my ideas to work

When creating and nurturing new ideas – one of the most important things I need is to be in the right mindset. I need to feel as if I am putting in my best work at all times and not simply going with the flow of the environment around me – I must design and create the enviroment I want and need

I do not describe myself as a morning person because I pride myself on being a creative night owl. Although this remains true when life gets hectic, a compromise will do – this year I have been waking up at 6am on most days to spend some time alone before the start of the busy day – to exercise and spend a few minutes decompressing in the steam room and mediating or praying

These extra three hours from 6-9am have helped me focus even more on my creative tasks and have freed up my evenings for more work or to get a head start on the day. As a plus, since I like to work late, the sunrise has made up for the sunsets I often miss

I still stay up later than I would like to admit but I have become better at eliminating distractions and now have more energy to do what is important to me and my work

For example – I have been reading more from different authors such as Phil Knight from Nike, Bog Iger from Disney and Nobu Matsuhisa from Nobu. On weekends, I visit the Strand Bookstore in lower Manhattan to get book recommendations and get out of my routine post-workout

One of my favorite parts of living in NYC is how walkable the city is – I walk at least five miles a day; I walk everywhere. This helps my need to

i. clear my head and let my thoughts and ideas wander

ii. take mental notes of whatever catches my eye – whether jewelry or design related – there is so much beautiful architecture, street intersections and design

iii. get some fresh air and a little exercise while experiencing the flowers and the seasons

Creative efforts tend to be less quantifiable than studying and then acing an exam, hence I have found that creating my metrics to measure success is key to staying motivated – day to day, whether that is waking up early every day and spending a few minutes designing or writing my creative thoughts down or exercising

Sunrise in Midtown Manhattan

year 2023 c / o nelly