feed your inner life / work regular hours

Some years ago I read Dani Shapiro's insightful book on the creative process—Still Writing: The Pleasures and Perils of a Creative Life. 

Dani talked about a set of instructions she has pinned above her desk from the poet Jane Kenyon. I was struck by this short little list (which, of course, applies to any kind of conscious life, not just the writing life) and I quickly copied it down on paper and it has since kept me company at my own desk over the years...

Be a good steward of your gifts.
Protect your time.
Feed your inner life.
Avoid too much noise.
Read good books, have good sentences in your ears.
Be by yourself as often as you can.
Walk.
Take the phone off the hook.
Work regular hours.

—Jane Kenyon, from A Hundred White Daffodils: Essays, Interviews, The Akhmatova Translations, Newspaper Columns, and One Poem

I so appreciate the combination of the tangible and intangible on this list and how it speaks to the fullness of what's required for living creatively (and consciously). It's not all outer logistics, but it's also not just about the inner work either. We need the full spectrum!

What do you think? I'd love to hear. 

Wih care,
Brianna

P.S. And another set of instructions I've kept close to my heart for many years, a stanza from Mary Oliver's poem "Sometimes."

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

Feed your inner life and go read the full poem here.