Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Feeding Your Creative Spirit—Are You Filling the Well, or Draining it Dry?


Like I shared in last week's post about Juggling Famiy, Commitments and Writing, we all have way more things to do than time to do them. But one thing I didn’t address, was the necessity of feeding your creative spirit.

I’ve had a crazy few months. Between writing deadlines, family crisis’ and summer craziness, I’m running on empty. But I don’t have time to lay out for a couple of weeks and recover. There are still more commitments and deadlines looming in the near future.

So how do I keep going and find a way to feed my creative spirit? I do a little inventory and then get my schedule down to the basics.


The first thing I’m dealing with is mental fatigue. My mind is like a muscled that’s been overworked. It needs time to recuperate. To give it the time it needs, I’ll be watching the clock while I’m working and taking frequent breaks during the day. I’ll wander around my yard, have lunch with a friend, or just sit and enjoy a TV show.

Next on my list of issues is a disrupted routine. Many of you know I keep a pretty regular schedule. I have to, I’m too easily distracted as it is. A schedule helps me focus and stay productive. But the past few months my schedule has consisted of sitting in front of the computer for twelve to fourteen hours a day, seven days a week. No one can sustain that kind of workload for any length of time.

So I’ll become very rigid with my schedule (including the break times). This will help me stay on track, even as I give myself time to recuperate. My writing time will be shorter and my breaks a little longer.

The third thing I’m going to address in my life is nourishment for my creative spirit.  I need something to rekindle that creative that’s burned so low in my soul.
  • I’ll be spending more time reading—for pleasure. I may try a new author, or revisit an old favorite. I plan to go where my whims lead me. NOTHING from my to-do reading list allowed!
  • I’ll be doing some things that spark my creativity, like jewelry making or knitting. Something creative, but not something I do for money. Just opportunities that encourage my imagination to soar.
  • I’ll be going to the movies. This gives me the opportunity to immerse myself in worlds that other creative geniuses have imagined and most important, much-needed time with my husband and with friends.
  • Finally, I’ll be finding a time for a short vacation. It may only be a one-day trip into the mountains or a local park, but my husband and I need the unplugged time with just each other as our focus. 

Now I’d love to hear from you. How do you refill and refresh your creative spirit? Share your suggestions in the comments section so we can all learn from each other.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

18 comments:

  1. This spoke to my soul...I teach Advance Placement Literature and Composition and during the summer, I plan and work and write new curriculum ideas. And I also try to blog and write creative non-fiction to fulfill my dream of COMPLETING SOMETHING! But I end up feeling guilty for blogging and writing instead of working and working and working. I put dreams and personal goals on the back burner in the forest somewhere and I don't recharge. Then I feel badly because I'm not responding to God's voice urging me to go ahead and write and honor Him with my writing. Oi vey. Such a cycle! Thanks for the reminder. Sorry for the whine, but this pushed all my buttons! Grace and peace!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely NOT a whine! It's something I struggle with and that's why I wrote about it. It's good to know I have company! Thanks for taking time to comment, Blessings, E

      Delete
  2. I can certainly relate to the disrupted routine. The grandkids were visiting, they're early risers, and my quiet time was derailed. So I had to switch gears to get out of bed as soon as I woke the first time--instead of the second.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I try to use the schedule disruptions as an incentive to get out of a rut. But it's always a struggle to stay consist when things change. Thanks for sharing how you cope! Blessings, E

      Delete
  3. Slowing down takes focus and is about as hard as work unless you just stop in your tracks and give it over to the Lord and let him lead. I had to have a heart attack to figure that out. Stress will cause one and you will never see it coming. I didn't. My youngest daughter past away in 2010 and that was hard to take, but the Lord allowed me to be there for her and take her everywhere she needed to go for all of the seven years she battled a brain tumor. I treasure that time and those memories, we need to take time to make time, but let the Lord provide the direction.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your blog title stopped me in my tracks today, Edie. I know I've drained my creative well -- possibly dry - because I just finished 2nd round edits. The question is: What am I doing to refill it?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sometimes I take a morning off. No work til after 11. I stay in bed, maybe read, crossword puzzles, or even study my Bible with Christian music playing, drinking lots of hot tea :)Then I can usually get a lot done in the afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the tips. Sometimes life can get so overwhelming...

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this post today! Yes, sometimes my creative side runs dry. Family (at least mine) can make it that way. What do I do about it? Come to you for sanity help! LOL! Seriously though, I'm with you. I read other blogs...non-writing related. I also will just take times where I read for pleasure and listen to music or go to lunch with a friend. Love you, sweet friend!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Edie, thanks for this great post. I needed it. Sometimes I feel as though my creative spirit is being drained dry. Family (at least mine) can do that. What do I do to re-fill it? Come to you for help with my sanity! LOL! Seriously though, I'll read blogs that aren't writing-related or go to lunch with a friend. Love you, precious friend!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You're singing my tune, Edie. We are ALL over-booked in our schedules, it seems, and it can be overwhelming. I'm trying to learn to let events happen that interrupt "my" schedule. Sometimes the Lord interrupts my perfectly planned day with such things as a call from my elderly Mom. Rather than stress, I'm learning to put my agenda aside and take a break for a couple of hours. Keeping a notebook handy with a "to-do" list that I cross out as I go helps me see that I really HAVE accomplished a few things. And like you, I'm trying to take more time for other writers to read and review their work, and help THEM rather than focusing on myself. That's the most therapeutic thing I can do—get my focus off of me and then God refreshes my creative self.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The only thing keeping me relatively sane this year is spending time with the Lord first thing in the morning.

    As a debut author, there's so much to do - the blog interviews, the social media, responding to readers, and working on my second book and a Christmas novella. I should be writing now, but I needed a breather.

    Thanks, Edie! I love your blog. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I want to spend more time reading too, Edie. That's so important, especially for writers. I don't know if he really said it, but I agree with Stephen King or whoever said, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write."

    ReplyDelete
  13. These are great tips, Edie, and so important. I'm like you- I like to refuel my spirit with pleasure reading and "creative" activities like painting or crafting with my kids. And although it seems counter-intuitive when I'm tired, sometimes a walk or a hike does wonders to fill me up again. Finally, if I can get past my own worries, sometimes doing an act of service for someone who needs help really helps shift my perspective and feed my spirit.
    I LOVE routine, and this summer has really not allowed for routine. I'm hoping to get back on track and wish you luck too. I'll pray for all of us. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am with you, Edie! I've got a handful of books I have scheduled to help launch. Outside of those, I've stopped taking on books for review so that I can enjoy a few leisurely reads, revisit favorites, or read the stack I've bought for myself that I've neglected for nearly a year. For brain breaks, I've done a puzzle or two in the last month. Of course, having the kids home for summer break has given me plenty of time to walk away from the screen/keyboard so I can head to the pool for some sun and water fun. Still busy with lots of work, but I'm taking plenty of breaks to keep the creative flow flowing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is a tough one for me. Due to health issues, I find it difficult to be productive on days I feel cruddy or can't move well. Instead of feeling guilty for not writing or working as hard as I should on edits, I take a nap, work a jigsaw puzzle (my favorite relaxer), watch an Agatha Christie episode, or paint.

    If I don't take care of myself, I won't accomplish much of any importance. I used to push myself to the limit and push a little more. After I nearly died of heart failure, I realized God doesn't require more work, just smarter work.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for the post. It sparked something here too, only for me it's relief that I'm not the only who feels guilty for writing, and guilty for not writing. For over six months now I've been going through a big transition and have felt guilty for not writing, wondering if I will ever get that thrill back.

    After reading your post and comments, I'm determined to take care of business (mainly move for the second time), write notes if the desire calls, and keep reading and discovering. Then when I get settled in at my new desk, I'm going to say a pray and just do what comes naturally.

    ReplyDelete