Late Shifts + Last Calls
GIF + Video Art
This animated GIF was made after midnight last night/this morning. Why? I dunno.
Long story short: I woke up just after midnight. Apropos of nothing, I remembered this silly rhyme/saying. I Googled it and discovered it was by an actual poet (Ogden Nash in his 1931 poem "Reflections on Ice-Breaking"). So I decided to make a little looping gif/video of what I imagined an elder insomniac-poet might look like. In a bar, nearing the last call, getting his quicker liquor fix.
Made sense at the time. And kept my mind busy until I fell back asleep.
Long story long(ish): I’ve had trouble sleeping more than an hour or two at a time most of my life. According to my family, I was born this way.
In recent years, I’ve embraced sleeping in shifts (aka polyphasic sleep). It works better than the alternative: worrying about my lack of “normal” sleep.
Early-To-Bed, Early-To-Wake, Back-To-Sleep, Early-To-Rise
As long as I can remember, I’ve gotten sleepy early and usually wake up at least a few times in the middle of the night and am ready to start my day by 7am. More or less.
I colored so much by flashlight as a kid my Christmas stocking usually included fresh batteries and crayons. Thanks to the iPad, I don’t need Santa’s help anymore.
Polyphasic Pioneering
For years, I battled and struggled with my frenemy insomniac. Like it was a separate entity. What I’ve come to realize is it’s just the way I was made. After various attempts to counteract my natural tendencies, I read an article about people who slept in shifts.
While the concept might raise eyebrows among the staunch advocates of a solid eight-hour sleep schedule, for me, it's been a revelation – a way to embrace the ebb and flow of my own circadian rhythm rather than fighting against it.
“Disco” Naps and Midnight Inspiration
Polyphasic sleep involves breaking the traditional nocturnal rest into smaller, strategically timed naps. These “disco” naps serve as both a recharge and a canvas for inspiration.
The night becomes not just a time to rest but a playground for creativity, with each waking interval offering a chance to explore the uncharted territories of my mind.
Being a night owl has challenges, but it also presents opportunities. The world undergoes a subtle transformation when the majority is in slumber – a hushed symphony of solitude that invites introspection and innovation.
The animated GIF that sparked this sleepy-time noodling may not be great art, but who’s to say? It’s an example of my natural nocturnal noodling.
In the quiet of the night, when inspiration calls, it might be accompanied by the faint clinking of glasses in a pixel-imperfect bar nearing closing time.
Late shifts and last calls are not just moments on the clock but opportunities to revel in the beauty of a creative, unconventional life.
In those in-between hours, where others see darkness, I often see inspiration.
Thanks for reading,
Clint
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(Smithsonian Magazine)
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