Do you have Pac Man Brain?
I like vintage video games.
But sometimes my brain is a bit like Pac Man. (Or Ms. Pac Man. In case you're wondering, the difference between them is that she has a bow in her hair.)
My Pac Man brain just loves to chase down and eat up all the ideas, all the information, all the things to do.
“Mmm what a great concept, chomp chomp.”
“Ooh, great idea, chew, chew, chew.”
“New information, slurp.”
(Maybe you’ve never imagined Pac Man chewing his enemies or slurping those juicy cherries, but I'm pretty sure he does.)
"Pac Man Brain" has its pros and cons. On the upside, I have no shortage of ideas and inspiration.
Running out of things to write about is not a problem for me.
On the other hand, sometimes I need to make some space.
I need to digest, if you will, the ideas I do have. Let the stuff that is there sink in and settle. I need to make some space.
...
As I write this, February is nearing its end. It’s a good time to make some space, I think. I don’t know about you, but I often find that the New Year usually starts with a bang: lots of fresh ideas, projects and enthusiasm for the year to come. Plus, if you’re a resolution-maker, you’ve probably got some stuff you’re working on and changes you want to make.
But now, a couple months into 2018, is a good moment to take a breath. Maybe clear out some things we don’t need. Do just a little bit less.
Because sometimes, less really is more.
In the past, I’ve written about silence. And I think, once again, I could use the reminder. (And maybe you could too.)
So for today, I’m not giving you any tips on writing. I’m not giving you any journaling prompts or worksheets. And I’m not even giving you any big ideas to chew on (unless you count this one).
No, I’m giving you permission to make space.
Maybe it means putting the phone away for a while or closing the laptop.
Maybe it's cleaning up your desk, or hitting delete on a few fles you no longer need.
Or maybe it's just giving yourself permission to not come up with your next brilliant idea, or Instagram post, or story.
Just for today, let the page be blank.
Stop putting quarters into the machine.
Give yourself some space.