I was talking to my CP yesterday about what helps us start feeling creative, especially after finishing a big project (like the penultimate draft of Episode 6 Forged in Shadow).
As we chatted, I realized…
I’ve discovered my “secret sauce” to unblocking my creativity.
I wanted to share it with you in case you’ve been struggling with feeling creative during these hard times.
Here’s what I wrote to her:
“Haha. Good job finishing your ‘tough draft.’” (She’d just typo’d about completing her rough draft.) “So, what helps you start feeling creative? It’s nice to be able to lean back and trust yourself. For me, it’s hiking for, like, hours—and every time I start feeling the urge to brainstorm, I gently tell myself that now is not the time, but that all those ideas can come when it is time. I think actually telling myself NOT to be creative is the secret sauce for me.
“I think it’s like…splurging on yourself when you’re freaking out about money. You shouldn’t do it every day, but taking that moment to say “I deserve to lean into trusting that things are going to be okay by doing this little splurge” — I think it can help the anxiety and pressure come down.
“For me, I have to give my body a workout too. There’s science pointing to workouts that use your core — running, climbing, hard hikes, kickboxing, yoga whatever — reducing stress and actually making you happier.
“And I think there’s something about creativity being attracted to that.”
So what do you think? Have you tried luring creativity by intentionally NOT being creative? Did it work for you?
PS. This isn’t the cover for Episode 6, just a placeholder. But you can get a plot teaser at riverkscott.com/books/rotr-ep6.