Creativity.
There are days when it flows as free as the Rogue River (and anyone who’s ever been to Oregon knows that’s free indeed!) When ideas come so hard and fast you can scarcely keep up. When the words fly from your fingers, through the keyboard, and onto the page. When creativity happens, it’s electric, exciting, energizing.
And then there are other days.
Days when you sit at the keyboard, staring at a blank screen. When you type…delete…type…delete…and on and on. Every word is a struggle, every character wooden, every plot point contrived. And you ask yourself, for the 110th time, “Why?”
Why did you ever think you could be a writer??
So what’s a writer to do when creativity seems a thing of the past? Well, I’ve got a few ideas. But first I’d like to hear from you.
What sparks your creativity? Where do you go, what do you do, when you need to refill those creative wells deep within?
Can’t wait to read your thoughts!
I go for a run or I’ll do something else creative like sew or knit to give my brain a switch of thought. I pray or take out a notebook and pen and just start free writing until the ideas start to make sense. And I love Cecil Murphy’s advice to stop and listen and see if I’m struggling because I’m on a project I don’t believe in or fit my values.
Sometimes I have to completely “re-boot.” I take a 10 minute nap and for some reason, that’s often enough to get the creativity flowing again. Other times I just make myself write what I think is garbage onto that blank page. Every now and then when I read it the next day I discover it might not be Pulitzer material, but it doesn’t stink either.
Don’t tell anyone, but I hang upside down! I wiggle around on the sofa until my head and feet have switched positions. Not only does the blood rush to my head and refresh those starving little blood cells, but I am forced to see things from a new perspective!
On a more normal note, I sing hymns as a reminder of Who is in control or organize drawers for the delusion that I am in control.
Am I the only one who still writes longhand? Maybe it’s from growing up with a manual typewriter, but I do my first draft in longhand, unless I’m writing a blog post. As I type the draft into MS-Word, I do my first edits.
When creativity is stifled, I shift gears and do something else. For you shower-thinkers, try a long soak in the tub instead — MUCH easier to write your ideas — most of the stories I wrote in 2011 started during my tub-time.
Sometimes I stop and look at ME, instead of the writing. Am I stuck because I need to work on me instead of it? (that’s not fun, btw, but is often essential).
and yard-work always helps. Even if I’m just out saying hi to the trees and shrubs and flowers instead of “working,” it helps.
For me, creativity is rarely triggered in isolation. Although a writer’s life is often solitary, inspiration comes from experiencing life outside of the four walls of our office. When I hit a dry spell, I get outside, gather around other people, try something new, or explore another creative outlet such as photography or painting. Trying new things, seeing how people react to different situations, hearing people’s stories, running outside all give me ideas and spark my creativity again.
Hmm – I started my noveling with NaNoWriMo, so I picked up the habit of writing about not being able to write, followed by musing on paper about character/situation/plot. I also have the idea file, plus ideas scribbled here and there, in little notebooks everywhere.
More than anything, though, I’ve developed a ‘there’s a story there’ attitude. I see potential stories everywhere now. The guy in the kilt turning on the sign of his British taxi car, followed by the guy walking his pig, becomes “Of Kilts and Pigs”. The NASA newsletter about the asteroid Vesta, and the meteorites that fell in Bilanga Yanga, Burkina Faso and Millbillillie, Australia, “They Call Me Vesta”. (Aren’t those awesome place names? Don’t they deserve their own story?) So I take a break from my work at hand, write a little on a new idea and then get back to business. Just plain fun!
Alternately, when creativity strikes I need to stop whatever I am doing and start writing immediately. Delaying even a few minutes can mean the difference between a quick and easy piece that I am proud of and spending three times the effort on something that I will never completely like.
I’m so glad you used the Rogue River. I can feel that thing threatening to sink me. Recently my writing attempts have not been like that. So this is a timely series. Thank you.
There are a couple things I’ve learned to help me get going when I’m trying to get molasses out of a Pine tree.
Write anyway. I literally include nonsense like “blah blah” and “go back, this is dumb” but I keep writing! A certain song and blue fish comes to mind but I won’t torture you.
Collage. Strange but true. If I rip up paper and start gluing-sometimes about a character sometimes a verse etc- it helps me be less critical of my initial creative attempts with writing.
Take a shower. Cuts distractions like my 5 kids and gives me a chance to brainstorm.
Maybe I could try using a comma every once in a while huh? Looks like I cut my kids. Ha!
I’m in a dry spell right now oddly enough. When picking up the laptop makes me want to cry, I’ll give myself a day off; always making sure the deadline is still meetable, of course. And I cook. Today I made stock from the beef bones from the Christmas roast (they’ve been in the freezer). And tomorrow I’m using that wonderful stock to make vegetable beef with barley soup. Using another creative outlet tends to rev up the writing one for me.
One of the greatest lessons I have learnt and I assiduously taught it to my children, is to not try so hard – indeed, when it came to hitting a ball, the harder they tried to hit it the more they missed, because the power in all sports is in timing, not brute force and ignorance.
Less is more. In my experience there is no greater barrier to creativity than trying too hard. Creative impulses reside in the sub-conscious, so when we consciously stop trying and even change our focus, we invoke our sub-consciousness and allow it to work. Whenever I hit creative barriers in life, I would go for a walk or visit a coffee shop or do a crossword puzzle or watch a movie, anything to release my mental tension and liberate my creativity again.
I’m so glad you wrote this post. On those dry days, sometimes you feel like the only one going through it, so this is a good reminder that we’re not alone.
What I do when I’m low on creativity is first, I pray for the Lord to show me what I’m supposed to write next. Second, I usually listen music. There are a couple artists that always have the ability to inspire me. The Fray is the main one. If that doesn’t work, then I just take a break and try again the next day.
Thanks for all your posts! Can’t wait to see part two!