Welcome, 2014!
It’s crazy that my first posting of 2014 is about writing and creativity recovery, and not about book reviews as I really wanted. I suppose they are kind of intertwined a bit, which is why when I think of one, the other also crosses my mind.
You see, I resolved to read 4 books a month FOR PLEASURE. That’s huge increase for me, as I read maybe 10 all of last year. I’m coming off an incredible dry spell, you see, of not being able to finish a book, regardless of how good it was.
Has a dry spell like that ever happened to you?
It’s kind of a freaky thing. I’d pick up a book I’d been looking forward to reading with every intention of savoring every word. In the end I’d relent and throw in the towel, not being able to get past chapter 3 or 4. It wasn’t the author, or the writing.
It was me.
I found this disinterest was part of the creative block that has paralyzed me for several years. More years than I care to admit.
This time last year, I was working through a 3-month Artist’s Way class offered through Savvy Authors and hosted by the ever fabulous Kat Duncan. Taking that class was like holding a mirror to my face. I was finally able to see what was going on with my inner artist.
Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever registered for a class that interested you and discovered that along with the information you were expecting to learn, you also experienced an extra special something so profound, it wasn’t an Aha! moment but rather an AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA hour? Day? Week? Month?
I did.
First, I discovered there were reasons why I wasn’t able to read and write successfully. I was blocked creatively. Happens all the time to writers and other creative people. I found that it could happen to me again, and probably would at some time. I also found that I have tools and exercises that did – and will again – help me to work through the block and reclaim my creative self. The Artist’s Way helped me to see what was happening, and it also gave me a game plan on how to get back into the writing fray.
I have had a lot of benefits from that reclamation. I have a business where I design swag and promotional items – romance trading cards, books marks, etc. for many of my sister authors. How fun is that? I also create beautiful jewelry, weaving magic from seed beads, crystals, stones, and metal. That’s also a blast, and a completely different creative outlet. It’s more immediate, and definitely tactile, and allows me to exercise different creative muscles.
My creative self is having a blast. The best part of all this is that I am also able to write. Anytime I have a spare minute, and definitely at least once a day for a minimum of 1/2 hour, I’ll sit down and write a minimum of 250 words. Through this new discipline, I have added 30K to my WIP this past month. Now that may not seem like much, but to me – a recovering blocked writer – that is HUGE.
I’ve always said water dripping on stone works…every time.
It’s that consistent, every day practice that chips away at something until, before you know it, you’ve accomplished what you set out to do!
It’s the same with writing. Consistently putting your writing first some time during your day will also work, every time. It’s now day 31, and I’m off to write my 250 words…or more.
So tell me – have you ever been blocked? What did you do to help get back on track? Looking forward to hearing all about it! “: )