This weekend I spent some time reading Civil War Sketch Artists. Aside from the incredible context of their work, these men offer a few insights into the headspace of creative habits and fruitful output.
With no safe-space to create. No art lab, studio or desk. Supplies rolled up in a bundle and their paper incredibly limited, it seems the key to their success and fruitful output was their headspace; their ability to focus on the topic, the sight, the grand and terrifying purpose at hand.
When everything else was up in the air: canon fire, bullets, shrapnel, screams and shouts and blood and death up close... their ability to focus on the goal of recording the day's events and do so with a steady hand and clear mind, staying on task to the end, is worth learning from. They're a forgotten model of finding that space in our heart and mind and soul that prepares and propels us for the craft of the day.
What's your daily rhythm for shaping your headspace? What are the obstacles? What are your stalling techniques? Figure these out and you'll find a more fruitful creative win.