There’s an expression backlog jamming up my mind. And I think it’s jamming up the minds of many people as well.
When we get up in the morning to do what what we do for the day, I find that it’s an unfortunate waste of time if we don’t go ahead and do things for self-expression, things that imprint our unique marks on the work we produce and the people around us. Whether it’s in our careers, our creative projects, our side hustles, in school, the work we do is an honest and whole expression of our very selves, at least that’s the goal. It’s an idealistic notion that has given birth to this blog, but it’s one that has troubled me increasingly from the moment I started working for another company.
It’s difficult to find ways to inject yourself into work with a predetermined job description. You’re expected to a job this way, the way it’s always been done. And after hours, writing for this site has also become a problem. Exhaustion hits and ideas that should have been printed on the page are pushed off to the next day, and the next day, until it’s simply added to the list of other backlogged ideas.
I’m stuck. And maybe most of us are. Work is getting in the way of the real work, our work, the work of expression. Creativity is silenced and packed up somewhere deep in the attic of our souls. But as long as we’re on our way to finding work that matters, creating work that expresses us fully, or transforming our current work into one where we can be honest with ourselves, we won’t be stuck for good.
For anyone feeling the same way, this video might help.