Productivity and creativity are not the same thing. Neither are they mutually exclusive, but they are not the same thing. I didn't always know this.
Like most nurses, I have always been productive. Whether making things with my hands, painting the dining room, running 10Ks, growing my own vegetables, or hand-making pasta, I rarely ended my day before 9:00 p.m. It wasn't until a breast cancer diagnosis flattened me on a couch that I realized the artist inside of me was starving.
In retrospect, I experienced early symptoms before the differential diagnosis that a creative resuscitation was necessary. Do you have any of these symptoms?
You think, "I can do better than that," watching a friend or colleague succeed in a creative endeavor. Maybe you can. The question is, why don't you?
You frequently daydream about what your life would be like if you didn't have commitments to a job, spouse, children, etc.
You use the universal sign of creative strangulation: When you talk, you tend to place one hand at your throat, with the thumb and index finger forming a V around it. What words and ideas are you choking back with that hand?
You use the universal sign of carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders: When you talk, you place one hand on the back of your neck. What burdens weigh heavily on that spot? Can you set any down?
You feel vaguely unfulfilled, despite your accomplishments.
You hang out on the periphery of creative people. You have an inexplicable desire to help them succeed, but don't believe you possess their level of talent.
You're bored, despite high productivity.
You fear releasing your creativity will destroy life as you know it. You believe you cannot be fulfilled creatively and hold a job or have a family. Or be a nurse.
You knew what you wanted to be when you were a child, and it is not what you are doing as an adult.
Nurses know when productivity is mistaken for quality in health care. Sometimes we fail to make a similar assessment about ourselves.
Do you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself? Can you add to the list?
Voiceless
Voiceless. Mixed media on vellum by JParadisi 2009
Julianna Paradisi explains that nurses are available to offer guidance and education, regardless of whether we agree or disagree with their treatment decisions.
The 2013 Nurse Compensation Survey Results Are In Michelle Bragazzi, BS, RN, 5/3/2013 32 In February, TheONC surveyed more than 600 oncology nurses to find out more about their careers. We wanted to know if they felt adequately compensated and satisfied within their ...
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