Hello, Summer Friends!
What’s the difference between work and toil?
idea of work
insults perfect sapphire sky,
offends summer sun
Instead of an essay, I just have a few musings and a question for you.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of work. It’s funny how many artists throughout history have been labeled indolent, even when they have created some incredible work.
In recent discussions, I’ve discovered that I have a completely different conception of what it means to work at something than many people. I have a mental line between work and toil. Toil is doing useless labor just for the sake of doing something. I enjoy hard work, but I despise toil. I’ve come to discover that a lot of people think toil is better than “idleness”.
I suspect that artists are sometimes seen as lazy because art often demands long periods of mulling and walking. A lot of creative work is invisible.
What do you think about work, toil, and idleness? Let me know in the comments!
Cheers,
Jason
I’m reminded of Dick Van Dyke’s character in Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang and the father from the movie (book, too?) Fly Away Home
I think I’ve gotten really good at avoiding toil. Sometimes I feel guilty that I have a “reverse weekend” schedule at my clinical job. I practice two days per week with five days off for doing all the other things I love. Maybe it’s part of getting older, but the urgency I feel is related to doing original and creative projects, rather than just staying “busy.” Bringing ideas from possibility into reality-- that’s what excites me these days! I guess that often looks like idleness as I’m wandering around the local nature trails. 🌿✨✨