To me ordinary can equate to content and grounded. When I was younger I was striving to do new and more things, to be sparkling and sociable. My life now might look ordinary and small but there's a deep contentment. Plus, as some others have said, the ordinariness of what's happening on the outside can fuel the creativity and ideas brewing from the inside. It's all a matter of perspective, right?! One person's boring is another person's heaven!
Thank you Emma. Indeed very validating. Brings to mind the (apocryphal) Chinese 'curse', 'May you live in interesting times.' I've had a few years of too much going on and no headspace when I've craved normality. It's taken an injury and surgery to make me stop and if I ever feel that doing the endless physio is a bit tedious I remember to relish the quiet, the necessity of lying down, and the chance to read and let my mind wander.
I’ve often gone through life thinking it must be bigger than what I’m experiencing day-to-day. When seeing artists’ career highlights, I’m always left with the impression that they’re leading “bigger, more interesting lives” than me. So this is a great reminder that extraordinary work can spawn from quite an ordinary day-to-day 🤍
As someone who's recently relocated to the Stirlingshire countryside *and* finished a year-long contract, this felt like such a timely read. Permission to tend to my seedlings and cook up a nourishing soup for lunch while my brain ruminates on more article ideas granted ✨
Love these observations, Emma. I think extraordinary creativity takes a lot of thinking power, and that thinking power needs certain activities to feed it. I've heard/read many novelists claim that when they're stuck on a plot point, they'll often break and take a shower, often joking they've never been more clean than when they're writing a thriller or mystery novel trying to come up with a plot twist. But I can also easily imagine many celebrities leading quiet, ordinary lives when they're away from cameras and all the people they're forced to be around during their days. They probably need that ordinary time to refill their creative energy supply that a public, performative life takes from them.
I think we get more comfy with "ordinariness" as we age. We know who we are and what we like and we care less what people think about it. In my 20s and 30s I was a city girl, living in Central London, out and about, carving out a life, achieving stuff, working hard, playing hard. I moved out to the shires in my late 40s and settled down with my husband. I then described myself as a country lady who very happily had a more sedate, ordinary life.
I've just finished reading a (giant!) volume of Michael Palin's diaries and have enjoyed the ordinariness of a lot of it, even interspersed with all expenses paid trips on Concorde to host SNL!
So interesting, loved reading this and I think there’s definitely something in there about needing the ordinary to be able to access the extraordinary ✨ it’s also all relative right?! What feels ordinary to one might not to another, I think it’s good to stay grounded whatever happens though 😅
This has really made me stop and think - perhaps routine shouldn't be seen as mundane by its very nature, but as something representing security and comfort. Loved it - thank you!
This is immensely comforting and validating. I resist but definitely benefit from routine, ritual and gentle repetition. As long as there are occasional adventures and glimmers!
Lovely thoughts Emma. It’s all perception isn’t it? What we determine ordinary or extraordinary. The fact the sun rises, I can smile, recognise that my mind makes things up, that’s really extraordinary. Nothing better than that first cup of tea in the morning, or cuddling my dog.
Such a great post that resonates deeply with me at 36. It’s only in the last couple years that I’ve let go of the expectation and pressure that every day needs to be this big extraordinary thing. What a relief to give ourselves permission to just be in — and appreciate — the ordinary! ♥️
To me ordinary can equate to content and grounded. When I was younger I was striving to do new and more things, to be sparkling and sociable. My life now might look ordinary and small but there's a deep contentment. Plus, as some others have said, the ordinariness of what's happening on the outside can fuel the creativity and ideas brewing from the inside. It's all a matter of perspective, right?! One person's boring is another person's heaven!
Thank you Emma. Indeed very validating. Brings to mind the (apocryphal) Chinese 'curse', 'May you live in interesting times.' I've had a few years of too much going on and no headspace when I've craved normality. It's taken an injury and surgery to make me stop and if I ever feel that doing the endless physio is a bit tedious I remember to relish the quiet, the necessity of lying down, and the chance to read and let my mind wander.
Love this read, Emma.
I love this Emma. I am also a boring person, but it creates space for creativity and connection to emerge, and it's strangely fulfilling!
I’ve often gone through life thinking it must be bigger than what I’m experiencing day-to-day. When seeing artists’ career highlights, I’m always left with the impression that they’re leading “bigger, more interesting lives” than me. So this is a great reminder that extraordinary work can spawn from quite an ordinary day-to-day 🤍
As someone who's recently relocated to the Stirlingshire countryside *and* finished a year-long contract, this felt like such a timely read. Permission to tend to my seedlings and cook up a nourishing soup for lunch while my brain ruminates on more article ideas granted ✨
Love these observations, Emma. I think extraordinary creativity takes a lot of thinking power, and that thinking power needs certain activities to feed it. I've heard/read many novelists claim that when they're stuck on a plot point, they'll often break and take a shower, often joking they've never been more clean than when they're writing a thriller or mystery novel trying to come up with a plot twist. But I can also easily imagine many celebrities leading quiet, ordinary lives when they're away from cameras and all the people they're forced to be around during their days. They probably need that ordinary time to refill their creative energy supply that a public, performative life takes from them.
I think we get more comfy with "ordinariness" as we age. We know who we are and what we like and we care less what people think about it. In my 20s and 30s I was a city girl, living in Central London, out and about, carving out a life, achieving stuff, working hard, playing hard. I moved out to the shires in my late 40s and settled down with my husband. I then described myself as a country lady who very happily had a more sedate, ordinary life.
I've just finished reading a (giant!) volume of Michael Palin's diaries and have enjoyed the ordinariness of a lot of it, even interspersed with all expenses paid trips on Concorde to host SNL!
So interesting, loved reading this and I think there’s definitely something in there about needing the ordinary to be able to access the extraordinary ✨ it’s also all relative right?! What feels ordinary to one might not to another, I think it’s good to stay grounded whatever happens though 😅
Yes!! Love this Amy ❤️
This has really made me stop and think - perhaps routine shouldn't be seen as mundane by its very nature, but as something representing security and comfort. Loved it - thank you!
This is immensely comforting and validating. I resist but definitely benefit from routine, ritual and gentle repetition. As long as there are occasional adventures and glimmers!
Lovely thoughts Emma. It’s all perception isn’t it? What we determine ordinary or extraordinary. The fact the sun rises, I can smile, recognise that my mind makes things up, that’s really extraordinary. Nothing better than that first cup of tea in the morning, or cuddling my dog.
This is so true, I love this reflection, thank you!
Thanks for this reminder that Ordinary Is Beautiful. It gets lost in the haze of glitz.
What a beautiful piece which totally resonates. I've never thought of an ordinary life as being so wonderful!
Thanks for reading Jane ❤️
Such a great post that resonates deeply with me at 36. It’s only in the last couple years that I’ve let go of the expectation and pressure that every day needs to be this big extraordinary thing. What a relief to give ourselves permission to just be in — and appreciate — the ordinary! ♥️
❤️