Unfortunately, for me this week?
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| http://www.unurth.com |
I must admit, my brain has been on overload. We have had crazy things go on here at home, not to mention it's been extremely HOT outside (Bethany and heat do NOT equal friends!).
But as I sat here in the cool early morning hours, my mind went on a tailspin about having "nothing" on... well... my mind. Is that ever a possibility? It might feel like it sometimes. But it made me realize and understand that the reality is-
I have TOO MUCH on my mind.
When we have too much going on, we put pressure on ourselves. We become exhausted. We shut down. And as a writer, that isn't something you can really afford, can you? I mean, we all understand that not a single one of us get the amount of sleep we need. We all stress about something (whether writing related or not). But having too much on your mind ends up leading to the inability to create. We find ourselves looking for relaxing places to retreat to. But for me, after I've visited that relaxing place and I feel like my mind has cleared, everything that was bothering me or that was left unsolved creeeeeeps its way back into my brain, and not only am I overwhelmed- I feel guilty.
So, naturally, I have been sitting here pondering up solutions to this dilemma. "How do I write under SO MUCH FRIGGIN STRESS?????" And it dawned on me...
I just... don't.
Whoa! Pressure off, right? How creative can one actually be if they're forcing themselves to be awesome? I don't think the almighty San Francisco Giants pitcher, Matt Cain, would have been able to have his Perfect Game a couple weeks ago, if he would have said, "You MUST have a perfect game. You MUST be the first in Giants' history!". You think that would have been possible? Nope. Me either. Well, it's no different for we writers. If you've got nothin', don't force it. It'll be terrible anyway!
So my question to you this week:
What do YOU do, when you simply have... Nothing?
I hope to hear from you on this topic. I believe it's helpful for all writers and creatives (as I call them) to share how they pull through the everyday garbage that tries to bombard us, and wind up coming up with something terrific.
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| http://walkingasjesusdid.blogspot.com |
Happy writing!!
Oh wait, there's more!
Tomorrow I will be sharing about my first Author/school visit, so please come on back!
YES! I so identify with this (and I so understand that you have had too much on your mind lately to worry about being creative as well.)
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, it turns out we're all human, and there are hills and valleys in all areas of our lives including the creative area. (You can't have a hill somewhere without there being a corresponding valley elsewhere. I *think* that makes geological sense.)
A very wise person said in a book that I have loved for years (Karen, by Marie Killilea) -- "You can't overload the lifeboat." You have to take care of what's most important first, and then let the rest fall into place. When you have something major to focus on in your regular life, you need to give yourself a little slack in the writing realm. It's okay.
I try to live by my self-written motto, "Do what you can, and let go of the rest." The rest will happen in its own time. (Yes, it's easier to preach that than to practice it, because it turns out I'm human, too!)
Exactly!! I love your motto. I think I might write it on a Post-It Note (or 700)and stick it to my bathroom mirror!! Thanks, Beth. As always, you inspire me. :)
DeleteAwwww, thanks so much, Bethany!
DeleteMost of the time I have so much on my mind I might not know what should come first. I laughed when I saw the cartoon...how true...lol...
ReplyDeleteDonna L Martin
www.donasdays.blogspot.com
Yes, Donna... Definitely!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Bethany! Do not fret you creative you!
ReplyDeleteLife happens and thank goodness it does because then we would have NOTHING to write about. =) I know it is extremely frustrating when you are in this state, but think of it as part of your writing process. Refueling, researching, whatever you want to call it. Your pen on paper creativity will come back before you know it. =) Read and read some more. Nap and nap some more. And when I write to you and tell you I am stuck, please remind me of what I wrote here. =) Thanks so much for this post!
Oh I WILL! Especially since I'll memorize it asap! Thanks, friend. You're the best!
DeleteI am also super stressed with life situations right now and busy with end of term, and I got nuttin!! What do I do? I may journal a bit, but I let go and accept that I may have days, several of them, where I don't write! Maybe this will change, but right now I am OK and not beating myself up about it. I'm with you, Bethany!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, you have such an incredib;e ADVENTURE that awaits you! I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to see what happens with you... I wish you all the luck in the world. Remember, every misstep can lead to a beautiful, marvelous story! :)
DeleteI usually read or clean the house. If I have nothing for more than a couple of days I force myself to write even if the writing is crappy. Usually this kick starts my creativity. I think it's good to give yourself a break once in awhile but not for too long. I learned this hard way when I let myself take the entire summer off last year. I was beyond stressed and I think I would have pulled out of it a lot earlier if I had forced myself to get back to writing.
ReplyDeleteI am the same way... If I let myself go too long without writing *something*, I end up feeling worse.
DeleteGreat advice, Rena. Thank you!
My mother always knew what I should do: "go clean your room!" As an artist I have this to add: that it is often the negative space that supports the positive elements in a picture.
ReplyDeleteSOOOOOOO true! I found that to be the case last week. My kitchen and living room was a disaster. When I finally cleaned it, I wrote an entire new manny in about 45mins. Cleaning... Good therapy!
DeleteI'm learning to put words down on paper, no matter how I feel. Because of the "15 Habits of Great Writer's Challenge, I've been rising at least one hour early each morning. I force myself to write whatever comes to mind, since I don't want these early hours to go to waste! It may not work for everyone, but, it does for me...
ReplyDeleteYep. I love that! Thanks, lady... Hope all is well with you!
DeleteI needed this post! It is really great. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWell, thank YOU, Penny! Glad it helped someone! :D
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