For various reasons (health, chronic pain, an aging pet, volunteer commitments, and the Pacific Northwest weather), I’ve spent the winter pretty much chained to my desk. Whenever I had a spare moment I tried to force myself to sit down and write—right now! As you can probably guess, I was supremely unproductive. And frustrated.
You know how if you keep doing what you’ve been doing you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting? Well, today I decided to try something different. I shrunk my manuscript (with the gaping hole in the middle) and my research notes so that they’d fit on one page each, I grabbed a pencil, and I went for a walk.
Wouldn’t you know it, my creativity was hiding in the woods! I found her right about here:
Once I found her, the manuscript practically wrote itself. And I got to walk (hooray, exercise!) in the sunshine.
We even stopped to make a few new friends on the way home… Piglets! A sheep, one day before shearing. Goats!
I know what you mean, Laurie! Sometimes we need a change of scenery or routine to break through the block. I’ve learned that when I try too hard to write, I can hardly write anything. I like the idea of taking my papers for a walk. I may have to try that sometime!
Well, this manuscript is a picture book, so that makes it easier to take with me. I’m not sure it would work for a novel, but I think it would if you were to focus on a single scene or chapter at a time. I read it through before I went, then walked and read some more, then put it away for awhile and just thought about the problem. Voila! I suddenly had a middle where before I had a gaping hole. I’m sure I looked like an idiot stopping in the middle of nowhere to scribble furiously in my little notebook, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve looked like an idiot. 😉
6 thoughts on “Creativity Lost… and Found!”
Hurray! Here’s to more walking…
Yes, definitely!
Love the photos, but especially love that you’ve recaptured your creativity and joy, Laurie.
Thanks, Angie! Not much feels better than a good writing day, that’s for sure. Hope you’re having much creativity and joy, too!
I know what you mean, Laurie! Sometimes we need a change of scenery or routine to break through the block. I’ve learned that when I try too hard to write, I can hardly write anything. I like the idea of taking my papers for a walk. I may have to try that sometime!
Well, this manuscript is a picture book, so that makes it easier to take with me. I’m not sure it would work for a novel, but I think it would if you were to focus on a single scene or chapter at a time. I read it through before I went, then walked and read some more, then put it away for awhile and just thought about the problem. Voila! I suddenly had a middle where before I had a gaping hole. I’m sure I looked like an idiot stopping in the middle of nowhere to scribble furiously in my little notebook, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve looked like an idiot. 😉