On the Concept of ‘Juice’ and How It Applies to This Blog

 

Almost Human

Early this morning, as I began my day, I thought I’d settle down to summarize another bit of The Lord of the Rings. I opened my Template document, hauled out The Two Towers, found the right page, propped up the book, and then stopped, looking helplessly at the whole set-up. I didn’t have the ‘juice’.

‘Juice’ is a concept that I have lately discerned in my own life and have come to refine into a loose definition. It is partly but not entirely physical energy, partly enthusiasm, and partly what has been termed ‘gumption’, or the will to proceed. When all three are high and blended, work and creation flow in a timeless process.

Running Low

But when the juice is low, inspiration lags. Work is not impossible, but the quality varies. For instance, I would estimate that the juice would have to be at 75% or higher for completely creative work, like Thrand or other short stories. A summary for parts of The Lord of the Rings might take 30%, because it requires some creative editing. I can produce a post for Out of the Toybox at a mere 5% because it is mostly slogging along. Today will probably include quite a few toy posts.

Juice can be forced sometimes, simply by sitting down and applying myself until it starts to flow. But then I need to have at least a tiny bit of juice to prime the pump, and sometimes it is not there at all. All of which helps to explain the irregular production of this blog.