Introducing 4,000 Ideas: The Oliver Burkeman Book Club for Creatives
Eeee!!!!
If you’ve been here for a while, you’ve probably heard me gush about Oliver Burkeman. He’s the author of Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals. I’ve recommended him to anyone who sounds even remotely interested in reimagining their relationship with time, capitalism, and productivity culture. The people who love Oliver Burkeman REALLY love Oliver Burkeman. So much of what he writes about is especially relevant to creatives, and I would love to dig into his work with you. I’m very excited to offer…
4,000 Ideas: The Oliver Burkeman Book Club for Creatives
Posts every couple of weeks
Journal prompts
Juicy discussions in the comments section
We’ll start with Four Thousand Weeks, working our way through each chapter. You can follow along with your own copy of the book or just bring your most philosophical self to the discussions (meaning it’s ok to skip the reading!) Today I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the introduction. (If you want to jump ahead, You might enjoy
’s motherhood-focused series on Meditation for Mortals.)The main thesis of Four Thousand Weeks is our lives are finite and accepting that hard truth is essential to flourishing.
If you’re like me, you have more ideas than time. When I was an in-house editor, I was told how to use my time, so while there were intense deadlines and unrealistic timelines, I mostly just smiled and nodded my way through it. But as a freelancer and a mom (with even less time), I feel even more pressured to make the best use of my time, and I spent way too much time agonizing about what to do with a few spare minutes.
Creatives can struggle with time in so many ways:
Feeling like there’s not enough time to make art
Feeling guilty for spending their limited time on art
Wanting to rush to the finish line instead of enjoying the process
Longing to create a legacy or leave their mark in some way
Finding the balance between getting inspired, resting, creating, marketing, and experimenting
Oh how we want to get it right! But as Oliver Burkeman says, the sad truth is,
“Becoming more efficient just makes you feel more rushed, and trying to clear the decks simply makes them fill up faster.”
Journal Prompt
In the introduction, Oliver Burkeman says, “The day will never arrive when you finally have everything under control.” How does that make you feel? Do you want to protest? Do you feel relieved in a weird way?
See you in the comments section!
Meet kindred spirits and let us know how time affects your creativity.
PS
This and the next 4000 Ideas post will be available to all subscribers. Then you’ll need to upgrade to a paid subscription to join the book club. I hope to see you there!
Nebula Notebook is a place to meet kindred spirits, get inspired, and learn how to find ease and joy in the creative process—even when life is bananas. 🍌🍌🍌
✏️ PS—The fastest way to grow as a writer is to book a manuscript critique or a creative coaching session with an expert. My clients get agents, sell books, and win awards. They also learn how to enjoy the creative process, so they can keep going when life gets hard. 👏
The day will never arrive when you finally have everything under control.... Mostly this makes me want to scream. Then I think--who ever told me that was the goal? Lol. I think I'll be "happier" if I get everything under control. But if I'm honest, I really think it will somehow prove my worthiness? Like I'm finally "achieving" my potential...
But when I think of it like this: all of this striving for control is actually making me miserable. Then I think I might actually get somewhere. 😅
Me just jumping up and down over here. You know I love his work.
I have found it so helpful for so many areas of my life. But especially right now as I am still recovering from my shoulder surgery. I am in intensive physical therapy that takes hours a day, it's been helpful to return to his ideas and helps settle me down when I get worked up on "all the things I am not doing" right now.