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Friday, December 18, 2009

TOPIC: Feeding Your Talent

Ever hit a bare, desolate patch in your life where your creativity seems to have dried up? And the longer you worry about it, the more pressure you put on yourself to spark it, the longer the effect seems to last?

I’ve been through this sort of experience more than a few times. These last couple of times though, I’ve taken closer notice of what’s helped rejuvenate me.

Reading for pleasure – it’s like a super strength bag of fertilizer. This is the biggest pick me up I know that refills my creative well. Relaxing with a good book pulls me away from the desolate desert of worry. The energy, the ideas, the emotions that come with reading another author’s work feeds me and stimulates my mind, de-stressing me while rejuvenating me.

Watching movies – just another version of reading for pleasure.

Writing something every day – even if it’s not the next WIP it keeps the working parts ticking over, the eye in, the skills from getting rusty. It temporarily satisfies the drive to be doing “something” in the writing arena.

What fills your creative well when the levels fall low?

4 comments:

  1. What refreshes me?
    Being quiet, reading and rereading my favourite authors. (I'm newly into fantasy romance). It had been months since I had written, but thanks to the above, I'm back into it all again. Weather permitting, working in the garden. The sense of achievement from that, is another kind of encouragement.
    A little time on online research, there are some fascinating snippets of information out there.

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  2. There's always something exciting about reading a favourite author or one of your keepers on the shelf, isn't there?
    I garden too, mostly just pottering, trimming, edging - something so mundane is restful to the mind.
    Thanks, for sharing what works for you, and great to have another fantasy author visit! :-)

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  3. Hi Kylie, I'm with you on how to keep the creative juices flowing. and you are truly correct. A little everyday does work. For the times when I simply cannot do the writing my charachters are screaming out for in my head, I at least read a few posts from others to help me on the narrow path of writing:).
    You know what helps keep me grounded. Like many other avid readers I buy soooo many books and keep hundreds as "favourites". Eery now and then I will slink to the floor with a cuppa and pull them all out and re-read the blurbs, maybe even the intros or first page or two. It is a soothing practice that reminds me of why I wanted to write in the first place. Those forgotten friends waiting to be enjoyed over and over again.
    Mary

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  4. Ahh, the power of those keepers... :-)
    Thanks for sharing Maryde!

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