No More Winter Creative Blocks: 10 Minutes A Day Promise

Hi all of my lovely readers!

I hope in the interim you have enjoyed my posts on my personal blog about Generosity. I'm sorry I haven't been here in a couple months.

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I should have forced myself to write more.

But it's also winter.

While I always thought that I was less creative in winter, studies show that our brains DO NOT seem to be affected by winter, that it's really our attitudes. I say lack of seeing the sunshine is part of it.

I can't blame winter for 2 reasons. 1, This has been the mildest, weirdest, and un-winter-like winter in a long time for my area. We missed the big February snowfall, the sleet didn't even turn to layers of ice, and the largest accumulation of snow in January was a few inches. And 2, work has been all-consuming. I have been so burnt out from the trials of the day with the addition of paperwork that I came home simply to not think about it.

I should have been 'not thinking about it' by creating new characters, scenes, settings, or doing fun research for my writing projects. I should have worked on some outlines.

It's my attitude that influenced by work habits. I did what I felt like doing, which we all should do sometimes, but it wasn't what I should have been doing. I felt like being a lump. I felt like not thinking for a while. This is not really healthy if it continues over long periods of time. They say for every day you take off from writing, your Muse takes off three..

I did write a little Ficlatté about the death of my Muse.

Detective Hawk reached a gloved hand to the light switch. In the moment before the room was bathed in light, she braced herself for a scene of unknowable atrocity. It was not difficult to kill a muse, they are quite delicate, but at times the results can be quite macabre.

click

She squinted. Stark reality was hard on the pupils. A lithe figure, white feathered wings drooping from two graceful shoulders used to bearing the weight of the world curled around a body stooped limply yet stiffly across the top of a writing desk. Ink cascaded down a single white page and puddled on the floor thickly. A pale head, thankfully turned away from the Detective, rested on the ink stained page. Her feather quill had fallen to the floor. Elegant legs were still tucked under the desk.

She could have been asleep.

Unfortunately, the Detective had no choice but to walk over and stare into the vacant, open eyes of crystal blue.

"What happened to you, goddess?" she breathed in awe.

She began to search for clues.

It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it was a way to cope with the loss of being creative in any way.

To free up my creative energy, I am going to try to freewrite for 10 minutes a day. It might become longer, but a promise to myself of just 10 minutes should do wonders for healing my Muse. Truly, she is not really dead, but in a coma.

A person can do a lot of things in 10 minutes.

What can you do in 10 minutes?

Also, comment on ways you fight against creative blocks, not just writer's. :) I'd love to hear some strategies!

Writer's Ramblings

It's officially my favorite time of year: Fall!
It's also my favorite month: NaNoWriMo.

At this point I'm so far behind in writing, I need over 2,000 words a day to meet the deadline.
Not. Gonna. Happen.

Unless I am dishonest.

I am working on the novel I started last year and didn't win with. I was in college and barely had any spare time to write un-college-related words. This year I have become more social and barely have any time to write words.

My career is all official and my classroom is all set up in a newer, more efficient way, but I am still finding that many things are taking up my time. I still have to plan lessons. I still have to plan events. I still have to learn to say no. Sometimes things are suggested and I like to try them, but sometimes change rubs me the wrong way. I have to deal with pushy people, jump through hoops, and do things the way I feel most comfortable; which may mean changing slowly. Emphasis on slow.

That's not all that has taken my time..

My sister called me up to use my mad organizing skills (which apparently accompany my control issues but do not go far enough into the 'cleaning' realm to satisfy my co-workers) to help her dig out from under piles of girl-child toys and artwork. It took 2 Saturdays to do two rooms. It was therapeutic.. for both of us.

Thursday nights Hubby and I have taken up a new hobby.. Trivia night. We go to a local restaurant and so far, we have kicked butt. Well, he has.. I have been able to answer one question out of..60 since we started. But that is not the point. The point is to get out and have adult conversations with people who *gasp* Don't Have Children and who *double gasp* don't understand our jobs enough that it is not worth talking about them.

Trust me, talking about your work is not the way to a healthy relationship. Sure, you have to vent, but if that is how you spend EVERY evening.. not cool. He was totally right in getting me out of the house to meet new people. Thanks, Hon!

Then there was the movie we went to see this month.. and another I want to see coming out. This has been the Year of the Movie for my family. We have seen more movies in theater this year than ever. There were some good ones! It is a luxury that is finally in our price range and we have run with it. It is good family time.

Movies and movie trailers can be inspiring...

I did get a few ideas spinning off of them...

But I didn't write them down in the dark theater, so they are gone forever. *sigh*

I also am still doing a second job tutoring because I love working with Autistic kids. I also love the extra money. It has funded the changes in my classroom, my wardrobe, and even "Awesome Christmas" which will be coming this December. It takes about an extra 2 hours (with drive time) 3 days a week. I find it rewarding, even when the progress takes months or a year. It is a break from the rigors of the classroom. It is a place where I have almost total control. It is usually fun.

I guess writing, like any job, is not always fun. There are days when things don't go the way they should. The muse could be out. The outside comes into your head space or work space. Sometimes non-fiction, blogging, is the only thing that can be written because life is in the way of the creative, fiction side.

Hey, maybe I should do a more non-fiction novel...hmm, confidentiality..

As long as it never gets printed, who cares?!