Creative work often requires background processing.
Background processing is that magical features of modern computers that take care of long tasks while allowing you to continue working with other software or tasks. I remember the days when this was unavailable, and if you had a significant task – say, upgrading some software or rendering a video – you could simply walk away from the computer for awhile.*
That sort of background processing plays a large role in my creative process. Often, I will start a project, or simply acknowledge an idea, and then set it aside for hours, days, weeks, or even longer. (I have ideas I set aside in grad school that I’m still waiting to come back to…)
The time I spend aways from my projects isn’t idle time. I trust my unconscious mind to continue background processing the project while I focus on other things, so that when I come back, I can quickly find the right next steps.
The two takeaways from this insight:
- Trust your unconscious – it’s often more effective to use background processing than to bash at a problem.
- Take this time into account when you’re figuring out the time and financial cost of a project. This time is an essential part of completing a project, and is a reflection of your skill.
* sometimes I think my computer-based life would be better if this were still the case…