What Are My Channels Of Creativity & How Do I Make This Stuff Move
I've mentioned this before, but as our self isolation time continues to extend, I'm feeling the creativity within me run up against more and more walls.
I know I'm not alone here. In fact, I know several people in many different creative fields who are struggling to get their inspiration into their "normal" creative outlet.
Like me, most people came to their blocks when they started really feeling the quarantine. I've done tons of journaling about it, and I've attributed my blocks to this shitstorm of information flooding in from other people's opinions.
The internet and TV are just rife with them right now.
It's too much. Honestly. So many thoughts and words are flying at me at the speed of light every time I open Facebook that I find myself entering and leaving almost immediately. But the new information is so overwhelming that I find myself unable to exit reality and enter the spaces of my characters and enjoy their problems for a while.
My ability to step into the shoes of the writing god of my characters' nightmares is basically diminished.
And it sucks.
Like real bad.
If I'm being real, I would give anything to leave reality right now. To step out of this crazy box and into something I know I can actually manage. That requires some puzzling out, but mostly just murder and deceit and good ol' fashioned character development and growth.
And that's really where the block comes in. Where I would normally be creating well-rounded characters for my books, now, I'm forced to confront the real challenge of my own personal growth and development. Because let's be real, none of us are getting out of this without confronting just a little bit of change.
That's right, folks. As normal as we want things to be right now, we will never be the same again. Ever.
How scary is that?
The interesting things that are coming up for me to process have definitely caught my attention, though.
I saw an interview that Howard Stern was conducting with Jimmy Fallon about hosting his show at home with his family and how much people have been enjoying the change of pace and scenery. Jimmy said he was inspired by what David Letterman had said on his show after the events of 9/11. That true human capacity in overcoming adversity is by facing our fears with courage.
And I think that's true. We don't know what's going to happen. In fact, the uncertainty is palpable. People are scared.
But more than that, none of us have been so aware of living through a moment of history before. We are in the midst of knowing that every single decision is being watched and recorded. That one wrong move could result in people dying.
And then there's the economy. It is collapsing without the infrastructure that has supported it this entire time. But how that will be updated and changed to better withstand future economic issues is also anyone's guess.
All of this big stuff sits heavily on my mind, too. There is so much wrong going on right now. Even coming back to the good stuff going on isn't able to hold the bad stuff back all the way.
And there has been a lot of good stuff, too. Families are getting the chance to reconnect and learn more about each other. People have time to do things and are actually taking their time doing them. People are finding ways to get back in touch with their creative sides. They're baking and cooking and painting and doing everything they can to move their energy into something productive that they can be proud of and that feels good.
All of this is so important.
So, even if your creativity isn't flowing where you think it should, be patient and kind to yourself. There is so much happening inside and outside of ourselves that it's okay to give yourself a break. Maybe try doing something else creative.
Where I am unable to write my books, I've picked up painting. It's not much, but at least it's something. And if we can hold onto something, that is more than enough to help each of us make it out of this and into the good on the other side.
Keep your heads up, my friends.
#Patience #SelfCare #Creativity #BeKindToYourself #TrySomethingNew #WritersCommunity #AuthorsCommunity #BeingCreative #WritersBlock #TrySomeArt #DoWhatYouCan
Want to know more about the amazing things happening at Courage Publishing? Have you seen some of the awesome new merchandise we have? What about our series of Author Marketing Classes that started on April 7th? We'd love to see your support, so please let us know what you think!
Lexi Mohney is an award-winning, self published author and a book coach living in Ann Arbor, MI. Throughout her writing and coaching career, she's lived by the motto of courage, and worked with her own coaches, groups, and support system to see her Big Audacious Dreams come true so that she can help others achieve success, too. Her first published piece, Carnal Knowledge, won an award at the 7th Annual Bisexual Book Awards in NYC on June 1, 2019. She is in the process of querying agents for her latest novel, Soulkind, which is the first in the Soul Hunter Series. Contact her through her website or find her on social media with any questions.