Ever sit down to write and discover your creativity has closed up shop for the day? Oh, I don’t mean the so-called writer’s block, wherein you don’t know what to write next. I’m thinking more in terms of knowing exactly what you want to write, but the words showing up in front of you are looking really tired and uninspired. Maybe that IS a type of writer’s block, but whatever you call it, it’s darn annoying. Especially when you’re on a deadline, and you’re already running behind.
What do you do? How do you recharge and forge ahead, happy with your day’s writing again?
I have several old standbys that usually seem to work. I find great comfort in my garden. My backyard was a large, empty canvas when we moved into this house twelve years ago. Thanks to my husband’s beautiful brick pathways, it is now a series of patios and beds, with nary a blade of boring (to me) green grass anywhere. Two years ago, before I started to spend every waking minute writing, it was really very pretty. Roses, salvias, honeysuckle, jasmine, and hanging baskets full of color were everywhere. Now, it’s a disaster, but I find cleaning it up and restoring it still works wonders for my creative renewal.
My garden, BEFORE I decided to become a writer!
Getting out on the St. Johns River is always good for my soul, too, and restores some equilibrium when my days have gotten out of control, and my brain feels fried. These days, I’m more apt to go out on the Naiad, the eco-tour boat that was my inspiration for the Undine, in Swamp Ghosts, rather than in my own canoe. (Old back, new pains.) But a boat ride with Captain Jeanne Bell, and her photographer husband, Doug Little, goes a long way towards sorting out my head.
The Naiad, plying the waters of the St. Johns River
And last, but by NO means least, I read. Losing myself in someone else’s fictional world is still my very best escape, and always will be, I expect. And the more complicated the real world gets, the more fantasy I lose myself in. For the first time in my life, I find myself moving past even URBAN fantasy, and into the epic stuff. I’ve been reading Brandon Sanderson and Robin Hobb for the last year, having decided magic in other worlds is just what my heart needs at the moment. And dragons, of course. Who knew how much I’d love them? I’m currently in the midst of reading our own Deborah Jay’s The Prince’s Man. Yep, fantasy is a great way to think about things far removed from the day’s headlines.
Escaping into fantasy, and loving it!
I’m leaving shortly to do lunch with a new friend, which is in itself, another way to restore humor and sanity to my life. But, before I go, I wanted to ask what you folks do when your creativity gets sluggish? How do you recharge? Your turn! Come on, tell us. Inquiring minds wanna know.
The Write Stuff 
I love the ways you reconnect to your creative side. And, if nothing else, lunch with a friend is always a good choice just for fun! Gorgeous photos, too.
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Thank you, Deborah! And nothing like a friend to share some laughter with to brighten your day! Especially if she reads (and enjoys) your books. 😀
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You are so right. I love all of my friends but have a special warmth for the ones who’ve read and talked about my books!
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It’s not that I love them MORE. It’s just that their kind words give me so much encouragement, and as a new writer, I have MANY insecurities. I’m outta here for a few hours, now. Later! 🙂
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The way you write, you shouldn’t have any insecurities, Marcia. Not as a writer, anyway. Your books are a delight to read. I envy your writing style. Wish I had your talent and your imagination.
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You are so sweet, Evelyn! Thank you so much for your kind words. I haven’t forgotten, either, that I have a book of yours coming up shortly. I just got myself in a state where I needed to escape reality all together. Dragons and knights in shining armor, damsels in distress, a few Wizards, and that sort of thing. I’m settling down now, again. And I promise to read your Mystery very soon! Thank you again for such kind words.
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Pingback: #MidWeekPOV #wwwblogs Recharging Creativity – cherylanne57
If it wasn’t for extracurricular activities, I’d never get out of my pajamas or step away from my keyboard. I volunteer, I walk with a friend and I do lunch with friends. I force myself, otherwise, I believe I’d get more than dull double quick. When I’m stuck, I love to stick my nose into a book, guarded by my cats. 😀
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You get lots more exercise than I do, Tess. Good for you. Between my bad feet, and my obcessive-compulsive need to keep writing all day, I’m not doing well about exercise at all. But I’m trying to do better, especially by getting busy in my garden again. Good for the body, and the brain!
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We haven’t walked for a couple weeks because something has kept coming up. We made solid plans for tomorrow but we have a freezing rain warning on at the moment.
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Now it’s my turn to be nervous – the shoe is on the other foot this time, with you reading my book.
I totally agree with the comment above: you have NO need to be insecure about your writing whatsoever; I found it to be of great quality, and these days I’m not so easily impressed.
Once again, we have similarities. A few years ago, I took over my parent’s derelict vegetable garden and turned it into a beautiful flower garden. Then I started writing more fiction. Like you, tidying up the garden has become my brain break when things aren’t flowing well.
I also get out into the country, though on my horse, rather than a boat, and get back close to nature. Failing that, I walk the dog for the same result. I’m lucky enough to live within 2 minutes walk of the edge of our village, so it doesn’t take me long to get into the open.
Usually once I’ve done one of those, I’m ready to get back to the keyboard.
Oh, and reading works too!
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Your daily activity is an inspiration, Debby. I’m trying to get more active each time I take a break from the computer. The garden is a help. Walking is difficult after foot surgery on each foot, but I’m trying to add more of that too. And thank you so much for such wonderful words about my writing. I know what a good writer you are, and how particular you are, so it’s very nice to hear. Between you and Evelyn, I’m feeling pretty good right now! And I am enjoying your book very much, already. I like imagining you on your horse, and walking your dogs through the beautiful countryside. You go, girl!
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😀
And now, back to that keyboard…
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Beautiful garden, Marcia (even if it was ‘before’) Love the brick pathways.
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Thanks, Cathy! It was really in good shape that year. I’m slowly trying to get it back to where it should be. The brick pathways and patios are wonderful. We came by the bricks FREE. Mark and I moved 7 tons of them ourselves, when we moved into this house, one van load at a time. 😯 They tore up a lot of streets in downtown Orlando and were hauling the brick pavers to a landfill. No one cared at all that Mark brought a van load home every night for months. 😀 We still have several large stacks of them that we plan to use in our side yard. Oh, how I love the way they look!
And sitting on my patio, watching the birds at my feeder, and the butterflies on the milkweed is just about as good for my creativity as a hike in the woods would be. It’s a great place to have a cup of tea, and if I could type faster on my tablet, I might take to writing out there. 🙂
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So much better to have saved all those bricks instead of them being trashed. They certainly add to the beauty of the garden. It’s so wonderful to watch the birds and butterflies, I love it 🙂 I’m hoping to tempt lots into our garden.
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Beautiful garden Marcia. When I had my house, I too would go out to the garden to get refreshed. And I agree, a book is always a new avenue to transport our minds somewhere else and heighten our creativity. I know I always get inspired by reading something different. It’s healthy to take ourselves away from our work instead of beating our heads against a blank screen. Our creativity always seems to come back when we turn our thoughts to something else. 🙂
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