NOTE: These posts are inspired by The Artist’s Way, a 12 Step Process to recovering your creativity by Julia Cameron. You can read all about it here.
CREATIVE ABUNDANCE
In my post The Problem with Writers and Money, we talked about relinquishing the old poor, starving artist cliché. Today we talk about living a life of luxury.
And it’s not what you think…
FROM THE ARTIST’S WAY
All too often, we become blocked and blame it on our lack of money. This is never an authentic block.
The actual block is our feeling of constriction, our sense of powerlessness.
Art requires us to empower ourselves with choice.
At the most basic level, this means choosing to do self-care.
by Julia Cameron
Authentic Luxury
We don’t have to book a 5 star hotel or buy the a $300 bottle of wine to get a sense of luxury.
We can take a mundane task and turn it into a moment of luxury.
Instead of rushing through your daily shower, bring a blue-tooth speaker and a scented candle with you.
It is surprising how adding a few more sensory delights transforms mindless routines into a luxurious experience. (You will probably get some great ideas too. Great ideas always pop up in the shower).
Or, try this—next time you’re at the store, buy one small thing for yourself that isn’t on your shopping list. Nothing practical or needed. Pick out something out of the ordinary and frivolous.
A while back, I bought a wine-colored wool fedora. Not practical in scorching Panama, but I like owning it, and it could be used for a future author photo.
Before that, I ordered two Klimt prints for my office from Great Big Canvas. I can’t tell you how luxurious and inspiring it is to write surrounded by my favorite fine art.
There are endless things you can order online purely for your own pleasure.
Ship them to your home, and it’s like receiving a gift from yourself. How thoughtful of you!
Your turn to luxuriate
You can create a sense of creative abundance all around you by becoming intentional about how you shape your experience.
Treat your life as a work of art. Get creative.
What would your weekend look like if you could design it?
Because you can.
Let’s do it right now.
CREATIVE LUXURY CHALLENGE
For this coming weekend, write a list of 10 things you could do to feel luxurious, like …
Order a fancy fountain pen.
Buy yourself a bouquet of roses.
Order new athletic gear.
Luxuriate in an afternoon of unstructured time.
Go out for a gourmet gelato.
Pick one or more items and enjoy.
Work your way down your list in the coming weeks.
Would you like to join us for more exercises like these? Treat yourself to becoming a better writer. Sign up here!
Have you ever wondered why writers block is such a difficulty to get past?
I will tell you the reason—you can’t write what you can’t see.
It sounds quite simple right?
In other words, the real secret to unblocking writers block is remembering the writers’ most powerful asset that allows them to unlock their imagination and in turn do the same for their readers. That amazing asset is visualization.
Of course, if you are an artist you already know that, but that is also why it is such a problem. It does not lie in the knowing but in the lack of providing that visualization with the necessary fuel to unleash its full potential.
So how would I suggest you doing this?
In my book, Mastering Your Scenes, I talk about the importance of sketching to aide in your visualization of the scenes you are trying to build.
Here are some very helpful ways to prime the pump of visualization and permanently kiss writers block goodbye when it comes to building your scenes.
Unblocking Writers Block – Visualization
Get out to a location that is similar to the one you have in mind for your scene and take pictures with a phone or camera or just bring some paper and begin to write down or draw out what you see.
Surf the Internet and find pictures of similar locations.
Find someone that you know that is knowledgeable about a similar location and pick their brains, taking lots of notes.
Instead of drawing anything, use a picture from the Internet with naturally occurring things such as rocks, sticks, buildings and etc. as a base or template. Once you have accomplished this, just alter the rest in your mind and remove what is not necessary. Begin to reshape it in your drafting to meet your own needs.
I’m sure you can probably think of some other ways of priming that pump of visualization and no matter what way that is, as long as you realize that sometimes it is necessary to do so. If you do not, you will find yourself discouraged and frustrated that you cannot clearly see what happens in your scene, or at the worst, end up writing out a scene that doesn’t feel very real to you or your reader, even if it has a lot going on.
The fundamental point is that the more realistic your scene becomes to you, the more realistic you will be able to make it to your readers.
However, this is impossible without a strong sense of visualization. Visualization will not do you much good without it being nourished with some of the things we have mentioned above so that your creative juices begin to fully awaken.
Then you will be left with the wonderful problem of trying to shut down an overactive imagination that will not stop flooding you with ideas. That is a very good problem for any writer (except when it is bedtime).
Give this a try next time you get stuck and let me know in the comments how this has helped you breakthrough your writers block. Also, check out Mastering Your Scenes to get a whole lot more on how to put that fiendish writers block into a time looping vortex from which it will never be able to return!
Follow J.A. Cox
J. A. Cox is a husband, father and disabled veteran. He enjoys entertaining with fiction based on the concept that fact is stranger than fiction and then stretching it just a tad to create some memorable page-turning moments that you will likely recall for some time to come.
Here are 7 ways to have fun with your writing. Explore the reaches of your creativity and never suffer from writer’s block again.
7 habits that cultivate creativity
1. Plan artist dates
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is like a 12 Step program for creatively traumatized and repressed artists. Part of her plan is to book an artist date once a week with yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything to do with writing. In fact, it’s better if it isn’t related.
Go out and do something you’ve never done before. And outdoor adventure, a cooking class, a window-shopping trip, or a performance. Let your subconscious absorb and play with new sensations, experiences, and ideas.
2. Explore different genres
Writing outside of your genre can help you get out of a writing rut. Since it’s not what you’re supposed to be good at, you can detach from your expectations and feel free to experiment. Take it as far as you want to go. Get as silly, raunchy, gutsy, or gross as you can. You may be surprised to discover tools and techniques you can apply to your usual genre that you never knew existed within you.
3. Read and watch funny stuff
When was the last time you laughed out loud? I’m talking about unbridled laughter with your belly burning and tears streaming down your cheeks. Laughter is not only good for the soul, but it’s also great for creativity and productivity too. A sense of play is the key to high performance. When we turn writing into a game, it becomes fun instead of tedious. It’s soil for new ideas. We tend to be less critical and balky and more receptive and innovative. Get stupid, really stupid. Let loose and then go back to your work. See if you shook something loose.
4. Process, not outcome
If we’re perpetually focused on the end result, all the steps between us and our goals will seem overwhelming, if not impossible. Don’t obsess over the four novels you want to write or the twenty short stories you want to publish or the agent you need to win over, or the readership you need to build to get to the bestsellers list. What’s the next small step you can take today? How can you enjoy that step?
5. Invest in others
Self-centeredness makes our struggles seem bigger. Once good way to flip your switch from worry-mode is to shift your attention to others. Who is doing some great writing? What have your friends been working on? How can you support another struggling writer? Share someone’s book with your following. Post encouraging comments on other writers’ social media. Leave a thoughtful review for a book you really admired.
6. Give yourself permission
How often do you allow yourself to have fun creatively? Is it all word counts and structure? Performing personality analyses of your characters? Is it striving for perfection and not accepting anything less from yourself than the next Pulitzer Prize winner?
Remember, again, when you were a kid hanging out with your imaginary friends. Get back to creating for the sake of creating. Relax and let your intuition take over. Genius is birthed serendipitously. Let go of what you think you should do and just be a curious child open to the possibilities.
7. Chat with other writers and creatives
I used to think I was anti-social, but it turns out, I just wasn’t inspired by the people I was around—a default combination acquaintances, spouse’s friends, and people from work. They were wonderful people, but not creative people. That is why I founded the Writers’ Mastermind. I formed my own coven of writers where we have amazing discussions that light us up. Our meetings create a synergy that inspires, comforts, and informs our lives and our writing.
Do you have a circle of writing friends? Is there a local writing group you could join? If not, create one, or join on online community like The Writers’ Mastermind. There is nothing more fun and restorative to your creativity than having conversations that matter with people who care about writing as much as you do.
Remember when you were a kid and being an artist was fun? Finger paints and imaginary friends. Silly costumes and play-acting.
We didn’t think about whether or not our creations and performances would sell or receive a good review on a trendy site. The reward was the simple act of creation, to make something that didn’t exists before.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso
As we grow from the limitless imagination and wonderment of a child into adulthood, that sense of creative abandon is diluted. We are caged by rules. We become overly self-conscious, losing our own individual spark in our desire to fit in or be on top of the next big thing.
Before we know it, writing becomes a chore. What was a wild refuge where we could run free is now a cramped and stuffy cubicle. It happens slowly, like aging itself, when we wake up one day to look in the mirror and wonder, who the hell is this person?
Not only does our work suffer, it branches out into everything. If we can’t have fun with writing, we can’t have fun with publishing. Nor can we have fun with book publicity and marketing. It becomes contrived, rigid, cliché, or boring. We lose the passion that used to inflame us, and it all seems like work.
7 habits that kill creativity
1. Judging yourself too harshly
We writers worship our greats. We aspire to be like them, and maybe one day we will. One of the reasons I haven’t published the series I’ve been working on for eight years is because I thought it wasn’t good enough. It didn’t compare to the masterpieces of my writing gods, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Really? Did I think I was going to be the next Tolstoy? On my first book?
Perfect is the enemy of good. Don’t stall on a good story, waiting for it to become perfect. Our definition of perfection changes all the time So do the best you can, and then let it go.
2. Comparing yourself to others
So-and-so is a bestseller and you’re not. A writer who just got out of high school is getting nominated for a prestigious award while you have none. A comparative author has double the amount of followers you have. Either you feel like scrambling to catch up with them, or you become discouraged and depressed that you are so far behind.
This is a recipe for misery. You are your only competition. And you don’t know what those writers had to do to get where they are. Furthermore, their life may not even be as great as it appears online.
3. Trying too hard to make it happen
In trying to hard to make it happen, we rush, we get sloppy, we create self-imposed deadlines that stress us out. We forget the joy of writing when we are pushing too hard, and we can sound like simpering sycophants, braggadocios, drowning readers in purple prose. Don’t overthink it. Don’t pander. Just get into your natural flow. Trust your you-ness.
4. Setting unrealistic expectations
Goals are important, but so is their achievability. If you set a goal to write four novels in a year while working a full-time job and being a parent, you are setting yourself up for failure. Not meeting these goals will make you feel like giving up. You will feel stressed and frustrated. Make realistic expectations for yourself. Give yourself room to live life while you pursue them.
5. Rushing for success
If you’re aiming for success, great. We all want to become successful authors. But, contrary to popular belief, success doesn’t happen overnight. Most of the most popular authors slogged for years before getting recognition. If you’ve made up your mind to be miserable until you are a success, you could be miserable for a long time.
Learn to enjoy your ride. One day you might be ridiculously famous and look longingly back on these quiet days when there weren’t so many deadlines and life was less demanding.
6. Not learning anything new
One of my biggest setbacks was that I kept writing without ever having taken one class. Even if your talented, you need guidance and feedback to optimize your skills.
I finally took my first class in Sept. 2019 with amazing writer and human being, Richard Thomas. It was the catalyst for everything that is happening for me right now. Not only has it opened new pathways, but I also feel more confident in my abilities and know what I have to offer and who to offer it to.
Most of us are flying blind, but when you are aware of your weak points you can improve them. Learning keeps you growing. It keeps your writing fresh. It’s incredible how much more capable you feel when you own your gifts and know how to use them. Evolving as an artist is one of the most satisfying parts of being a writer. Get involved in this process.
7. Taking yourself too seriously
Do you dwell on mistakes? Lose hope after a failure? Maybe you got a rejection. Or your book launch flopped. Has a snarky reviewer ripped you to shreds? Yes. It sucks. There’s no denying that. You can allow yourself a half a day to mope around.
Then be realistic about it. Your work won’t get accepted one hundred percent of the time. Your latest book might not be the one that skyrockets you to stardom. Not every reviewer is going to get what you were trying to do with your story. Laugh it off and ask yourself, what can I learn from this, and more importantly, what’s next?
When we don’t purposefully and deliberately choose where to focus our energies and time, other people—our bosses, our colleagues, our clients, and even our families—will choose for us, and before long we’ll have lost sight of everything that is meaningful and important. We can either make our choices deliberately or allow other people’s agendas to control our lives.
Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
When it comes to becoming a successful author, planning is 200% more valuable than writing. I’m not talking about outlining your stories and novels before writing them. That is important too, but I’m talking about planning on both macro and micro levels to reach your big picture vision of your life as a writer. Without planning ahead, we get distracted, sidetracked, and stray off task.
Aspiring writers are especially susceptible to writer’s drift, a state when we feel like life always gets in the way of our writing. There are several reasons we allow this to happen on a conscious or subconscious level.
1. Because we don’t earn a steady paycheck from writing yet, so we can’t justify spending time and energy on it.
2. We usually don’t have writing deadlines, except those we impose on ourselves. When we fail to meet them, who cares? No one knows but us. We have no one to hold us accountable.
3. We don’t know exactly what to do next, leaving gaps to be filled with interruptions, distractions, or someone else’s priorities.
We’ll get up for a job we’re not crazy about. We rearrange our schedule for our kids or significant other. We even drag ourselves out to walk the dog no matter how tired we are.
But how often do we take a stand for our writing?
The first chunk of time to be sacrificed when some unforeseen issue comes up is our writing time. Writing time is vague and unconvincing. People don’t respect it. Even we’re not sure what it is we’re not getting done when we’re not able to write. So it’s easy to dismiss it as no big deal.
The one person we fail is ourselves. And we don’t realize the impact it makes on our wellbeing when we’re constantly letting ourselves down by pushing aside our heart’s dream.
What would happen if you treated your writing with the same priority as other aspects of your life?
And how do we put ourselves into position to do that?
How do we do it without feeling guilty or self-indulgent?
Planning out your writer’s path to the smallest details will keep you committed to your writing. This means breaking things up in 5-year, 1-year, quarterly, weekly, and daily goals.
It’s not about finding time to write. It’s about making time to write.
Making sure you always have something scheduled to do next will ensure that you avoid wasting time, overwhelm, and paralysis. This will help you keep moving forward no matter what.
You’ll be able to ignore your fears and push past rejection. You’ll always be able to put one foot in front of the other by executing the next step in your plan.
Start Here
I’ve created a planning guide to avoid writer’s drift. You can download it for free using the link or form below.
