Monday 16 May 2011

Thinking Space by Savita Kalhan


In the middle of May I received a call from the local allotment secretary. A space had come up and I was next on the waiting list. Did I still want one? My first reaction was to say: No thank you. I really don’t have time for it anymore.



This past year I’ve had very little spare time because I discovered the internet, bloggers and blogging, twitter and face book, and saw with open-mouthed shock exactly what I should have been doing even before my book had come out. I had absolutely no idea. I had purposefully never worked on a computer that was hooked up to the internet, and I suddenly realised what a mistake it had been.

I immediately hooked my laptop up to the internet, discovered the SAS in January 2010 and began digging my head out of the sand.

I hurled myself into the fray and bloggers started reviewing my book, not put off by the fact that it had been out for a long while, and I was interviewed so many times I think every morsel of my life, likes and dislikes, even down to my favourite sweets when I was a kid, is on the internet, which is just a little bit scary! But I carried on at break-neck speed, giving The Long Weekend my all.

I got fed up of dragging the laptop around everywhere and got myself an iPhone – it soon became my co-conspirator, making it easy for me never to miss anything...and never to switch off. Ever. Spare time didn’t exist anymore because I had to keep abreast of everything, comment on everything, make myself known as a children’s writer. It became a habit, one that I was finding hard to wean myself off. After the two blog tours, which did require lots of publicising etc, were over, I was still on the internet, afraid that I might miss something important.

Was it worth it? Yes. Definitely. But I lost a sense of balance.

So when the allotment secretary rang me, no is not what actually came out of my mouth. I’ve been on the waiting list for a few years now and if I didn’t take up the offer now, who knew when another space might come up? This one came up because a 93 year old had decided that it was getting a bit too much for him to manage! The allotments are next to the woods behind my house, less than a minute away...

So I said yes, I’d love it, thank you!



I’ve worked my bit of land for the past few weeks, preparing it for sowing all the wonderful veg and salad we eat the most. I inherited blackcurrant, redcurrant and raspberry bushes and only needed to add some strawberries to the fruit collection. As I’ve been working down there, I’ve realised that I cannot hear my phone ringing, I’ve never once checked my emails, and the only tweeting going on is that of the birds, although I think the parakeets and woodpeckers turn their noses up at tweeting. And whether it’s for half an hour, an hour or all afternoon, I get to switch off from the whole world, allow my brain to wander aimlessly where it will, and finally it’s thinking stories again, ideas and characters are reappearing, opening paragraphs for possible future work are being written. It’s bliss.
I hope I’m on the road to achieving some equilibrium between my chosen profession and the rest of my life.

How about you?

16 comments:

jongleuse said...

So true! I had a lovely afternoon wandering around after a two year old who was chasing squirrels, picking buttercups and daisies and collecting 'special' stones. No sound but the wind through the trees and some rather noisy thrushes. All thoughts of to-do list vanished...

Rupert Neil Bumfrey said...

Allotment will always win, hopefully.

necklace said...

Very therapeutic. Makes one feel like they have had a total break. Getting close to nature is certainly the best stress release.

catdownunder said...

I am glad you said yes! Enjoy the proceeds of your labours!

Anne Cassidy said...

Every writer needs an allotment of one's own.

Lynne Garner said...

I find walking the dog the best time to arrange my ideas. We are so lucky we can be in the middle of farmers fields within 10 minutes. Some days we will bump into the world and his dog. Other days we'll not see a soul for an hour or so. On a quiet walked I've even written a complete story by tapping into my iPhone then simply uploaded onto my laptop when I got home. This story is now with my editor, so fingers crossed.

Elen C said...

I'm with Lynne - my dog needs to go out three times a day and she doesn't care about my deadlines. I stroll around the park, maybe buy a cup of tea from the park kiosk, watch the world go by. And I never take my phone.

Joan Lennon said...

Bizarrely, I have just taken my sister to the train and as we drove to the station she was saying exactly the same things to me - need to get outside, need to work in the garden, need to get some balance ... It's obvious, and yet, and yet ...
My brain gets it, but my must-be-writing bit kicks and bites!
I'll try to follow your good example.

Gillian Philip said...

My garden has needed a lot of work this spring, and I was feeling guilty about the time I spend branch-trimming, pond-clearing, digging...till I realised that I was actually getting more writing done in my writing time. I think you're right - the balance is a help rather than a hindrance. It does clear the head for new ideas!

madwippitt said...

Good decision! Everyone needs a dog (or two) and an allotment in their life!

Dianne Hofmeyr said...

Living in the heart of London, I envy your woods and that lovely bridge that seems to lead to enchantment! Can taste those home grown veg and herbs already... with beautiful zucchini flowers tossed lightly into a salad! A great decision, Savita!

Wendy Meddour said...

Look at me - utterly identifying with this blog when I should be outside getting some fresh air! Well done you.

Savita Kalhan said...

Thank you all for the comments, and the validation! Really feel I have definitely done the right thing. Feeling much more grounded... (sorry!)
And lucky that Finchley is on the edge of London and although my front door puts me firmly in London, my back door opens onto woods, so getting the best of both worlds!

Sarah Taylor-Fergusson said...

I'm no gardener yet, apart from tidying up, but I absolutely get your point here. A day without a walk in the fresh air preferably with some nature thrown in is, for me, a day lost. And although I struggle to find any time to write, it hasn't stopped me taking on new other projects: I recently bought a wonderful new cookbook which I am slowly working through and trying out in the evenings, when I'm not serving meals, and am weighing up whether to sign up for fiddle lessons too.

Penny Dolan said...

Space - whether real world space or a quiet time to think - is essential for creative thought. Have just returned from a week grandchild-sitting before and after school, and found the middle of the day calm time, sans internet, wonderfully soothing. Feel as if ideas have started to spring again. Mind you, did pause and admire flower filled gardens and local woods during the to and fro. Thank you for the post, Savita, and much happiness with the allotment!

Katherine Langrish said...

Do I need an allotment? No - but I'm glad you have yours. Like Elen, I have a 3-walk-a-day dog, and a garden which is in danger of being choked by bindweed.

If I get someting solid written in the next month, I'll be so happy.