I tell people and myself that I don't like stress and pressure. The truth, however, is that I seem to get more done when I'm under pressure, regardless of the fact that I don't like it. I do like being productive and finishing projects, but I don't like feeling like I'm under the gun all the time.
I wonder about the effect of the pressure on creativity. Would I be more or less creative if I had more time to get writing projects done? Is there something about being under pressure that gets my neurons firing so I think better? Or is that just an excuse for poor time management?
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I often wonder the same. I work as a marketing copywriter. There are a lot of projects, the number of which is increasing, and much pressure to write excellently in a variety of styles and voices. I also seem to get more done when deadlines are looming, but the other side of that is the quality. Sometimes I have to lower my standards just to get it done. It's not of the caliber that I was aiming for, but lack of time - and the six or ten other waiting assignments - make it necessary to submit what I do have. Ultimately, I tend to think that there's a middle road. We need just enough pressure to get the neurons firing, yet not so much that there's a blowout. I have often experienced a sort of void and blankness when trying to write, which I figure must come from creative exhaustion. At some point, when overused, those neurons just refuse to fire anymore... until they get a break. And usually generous amounts of chocolate and ice cream.
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