Saturday 10 July 2010

The Pram in the Hallway

Jamie is out this afternoon with Nanna and since I am no longer employed I am trying to use the time productively. Today started with having to sort out all the Child Tax Credit stuff and then trying to make sense of all the paperwork I seem to have accumulated recently. It is hard not to spend precious time 'fire fighting' i.e. having to do things that need to be done or else i.e. paying bills, shopping, filling in Child Tax Credit forms, but I feel I have begun to focus more when time allows.

I recently watched Maggie O'Farrell on The Book Show (SkyArts) see: http://thebookshow.skyarts.co.uk/authors/463188/maggie_ofarrell.html

She gave me inspiration as she discussed the quote from Cyril Connolly "There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall." Firstly, children deepen your connection with the world and cause you to feel emotion.

And secondly, however difficult it is to find the artistic impulse through the fog of motherhood, children are great editors. She highlights the danger of having too much time. With children you know you have a certain amount of time (usually while they are asleep) and so you must focus on writing in that time.

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