You Cannot Always Be Harvesting

June 03, 2016


At first, I was going to title this post “Happy Little Things: Harvest,” and write about the simple pleasure of gardening. But as I put words on paper, my thoughts took me in an entirely different direction.

This week’s “harvest” from my garden, if you can call it that, was three yellow pear tomatoes and two stunted carrots. So much effort for so little result, yet still, I keep at it. Kinda reminds me of my writing career (if you can call it that). I’m putting a lot of effort into it, but I’m not harvesting much in the way of finished pieces or paying clients, and I’m frustrated. But I also know that you cannot always be harvesting. Just as in gardening, in writing, in other creative endeavors—even in life itself, there must be times of planting, feeding, nurturing, even lying fallow.

While I desperately want and need to produce fruit, I can’t discount my need for the nourishment of instruction, time to allow ideas to sprout and grow in my head, and time to simply do nothing. I’ve seen the effects of neglect on my garden—nearly my entire crop of winter lettuce grew without thinning, watering and weeding, with predictably inedible results.

In my garden, I’m in the groove now, checking it every day, watering, weeding, and feeding as needed. I’ve got tons of lemons on my Meyer lemon tree, plenty of blossoms and green tomatoes still on my plants, and a few more carrots that might have a chance to grow into something edible. I have green onions and herbs ready when I need them. I’m also working on tending my creativity with the same attention and care. I believe if I keep putting in the time and effort, the harvest will come. And when it does, it will taste all the sweeter for the effort I’ve put in.

How do you nourish your creativity?

The sad little harvest

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5 comments

  1. What another soothing and beautiful post...I have to say, you might not be harvesting in terms of paying clients, but your blog posts seem like a rich garden harbest to me. I LOVE the last photo...how the colors pop of the harvested fruit...

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  2. Kathy your writing is a harvest in itself. Your posts always have wonderful content and you know just what to share. Sometimes the harvest may seem small at the time but the roots below the ground are growing strong and they will produce a huge crop if you do not give up. Hope you have a wonderful week. Hugs

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  3. Rita--Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement. Guess I should sketch that harvest, too!

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  4. Debbie--Thank you, also, for your encouragement! I'll keep tending my garden(s). Hope you have a great week, too.

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