Creativity is a process. A really messy process. Even if
your primary tool is a neat, clean laptop your mind can still be as chaotic as
one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings.
Some days, I come to the keyboard with fingers itching with
words, my characters already whispering to me. Others days, I’ll find something
– anything at all -- to distract me from my writing: “Ooh, look! Filing to be
done! Laundry that needs folding! A junk drawer to clean out! Maybe I should
start on my taxes now…”
I know I’m not alone in doing this. But in those moments, I
feel pretty damn alone. Like I’m the only writer who has ever avoided doing
what they love most, just because it’s…well, too darn hard to harness all that
chaotic energy into concrete words.
I’ve been working harder at focusing that energy, though. It’s
been a challenge, but I feel like I’ve made some real strides forward. I’ve
been churning out more pages, and on the whole I’ve felt so much more balanced
and centered.
I thought I’d share some of my findings. I’m no “creativity
expert,” but I thought some of these suggestions might be helpful to other
writers out there…if nothing else so you don’t feel like you’re the only one
who suffers through these spells!
Tips to Stay Creatively
Focused
1. Write only what
you truly love. If it makes your heart sing, you will find the time to
write it. If you don’t really want to tell the story, you’ll find a way to
avoid doing it, no matter how “good” or “marketable” you think it could be.
2. Create a schedule
for yourself. This is especially important if you work from home. Having a structure
will help you create the mental space you need to sit down and create. “1-5pm is
writing time. The laundry will still be there after 5pm.” If you have other
obligations, carve out a little regular time for yourself, even if it’s only a
few hours each week. You need that mental permission, or you’ll always find “more
important” things to do.
3. Exercise regularly. I’m
realizing that I write best on the days I’ve stuck to doing my daily Qi Gong stretches.
It gets the blood flowing through the brain, and burns off some of the antsy
energy that plagues you.
4. Don’t be afraid to
do something else. Maybe the words just aren’t coming, but you’re still
itching to create something. That’s okay. Sometimes working in a different medium
can help you get unstuck. It shifts your thinking onto new paths, and can
present new answers. Tear up some old magazines and make a collage of images
that inspire you to think of your story. Bake something that one of your
characters would like. Paint something in colors you find inspiring. It’s never
a waste of time to create something.
5. Hang out with
other creative types. It helps to talk to people who know what you’re going
through. They’ll understand the frustration of creator’s block, and the elation
of artistic break-throughs. I’m lucky to have a network of friends and family
that ooze creativity from every pore, and after I hang out with them I come
away enlivened and energized to tackle my own projects. If you don’t personally
know creative folks, join a writer’s circle or forum online (there are numerous ones,
some specifically geared towards different genres), or find a group through
MeetUp.com.
6. Believe that your
writing is important. Sadly, it’s doubtful your short story will solve
world hunger or fix the global economy or even make you enough money to pay
your phone bill. But it will make you happy to write it. That is enough. Even
if no one reads your story, your life will be better for you having taken the
time to write it. When you’re happy, you carry that with you, and it touches
others around you. Thus, your writing does help make the world a better place.
And hey, if someone reads your story, you'll have brought a little something new into their lives. Whether that's a smile on their face or a chill down their spine, you'll have touched them, even for a moment. That’s what I hope for as a writer, and sometimes it's that thought that keeps my butt in my seat and my fingers on the keyboard.
