Hi Creatives!

I just finished a big writing project this week, and that means the month of May has been spent focused on writing and leaving other creative pursuits to the side. I often set goals based on month-long blocks. This month, I needed to revise my second novel to get it to the editor by June.

The problem with focus

Staying focused in one direction is a great thing for me to cross things off my list. The problem comes when the one-track focus can lead to a creative rut. For me that means letting my paint sit on the shelf and not poking around on the piano. It means my sewing stuff misses me and my art journal stays dormant.

It's fine for creative pursuits to ebb and flow, but for me, if my nose is to the grindstone too long, I use up my creative energy. I need to be intentional about refueling.

Refueling the creative well

What refuels my well? If I'm doing something that uses up my thinking brain, like writing, I need to pivot to more physical activities. Getting out the paints or singing in the kitchen uses a completely different side of my creative soul.

Julia Cameron, in her books about creativity, recommends taking yourself on an artist's date each week. She recommends thinking about places you've always wanted to go or fun things you've always wanted to try. Put them on the calendar and go!

Novelty and the creative mind

For me, anything that gets my brain excited about doing or seeing something new fuels my creative engine. One of the best ways for me is travel. Being in a new place fills me with new sensory experiences, which is the ultimate in novelty and fresh ideas.

I'm off to Taiwan later this week. I'm taking my kids their for the first time. I'm trying to travel light, but I'll bring my notebook and my art journal and see what hits me when I'm there.

How do you refuel your creative well? What's an artist's date you've always wanted to try? Feel free to reply and tell me. I read all my emails.

Creativity Journal

My friend Audette is a fabulous mixed media artist and the two of us teamed up to make this creative journal to help you dig deeper into your creative side. The price of the journal is going up soon, due to rising paper costs at Amazon, so it's the last few days it will be at this price. Click here to check it out.

If you want to check out my fiction book, Cascade of Sparks, it's part of a Women in Fantasy promo that you can check out here.

Have a great rest of the week! Happy creating!

Mary