I love now that I'm a little older and can understand my thought processes better than I did as a teenager. I find that I have a creative well that I dip into when I do things like writing, painting and drawing. Perhaps the jewelry and card-making draw from it to, but they draw a lot less. When I actually start drawing from that well regularly, it's a huge BUZZ. I'm alive and wired and life is awesome. I also tend to set fantastically unrealistic goals for myself. I haven't yet caught on to the "low fuel" light for this well. Just suddenly, I find that my creative well is empty and that leaves me in a very frustrated state. (Angst multiplied by the size of the unrealistic goal that now looms over head)
It would be too easy if I could see that the well is empty and go "oh, okay. I need a day off to reacharge" - but no. I sit around, trying to get things to cooperate with me, and inevitably wind up making fantastically unrealistic threats...usually along the lines of "I WILL DELETE THIS NOVEL SO HELP ME I'M THROWING IT AWAY!!!" I never do, of course. But the fantastically unrealistic threat is part of the process.
Such was yesterday. Unfortunately for the boy, he has not learned the proper way to deal with what can only be described as me mentally hulking out...because it happens so rarely that I'm creative for any duration that results in me wiping the well dry. So bless his heart, he tried to put his foot down. Tell me to suck it up and write. In the future, I recommend duck and roll, followed by some incredibly sweet gesture. Such is the time to surprise the wife with flowers or something like that.
So, my well is running on low, at best. I need to take some time to let the well fill up again, but I've made that fantastically unrealistic goal, and by golly, come hell or high water, I'm going to meet that goal. So if anyone sees a magic potion of creative refill, let me know. In the meantime ... fantastically unrealistic goals, FTW!
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2 comments:
Ug. Been there. Luckily, such wells are blessed with natural springs. Before you know it, the water will begin rising and you'll be able to draw from the well at will.
So, for an hour or two, do something other than write. Play a game. Watch some TV. Read a book. My guess is you'll become so antsy to get back to the book, you'll discover the well replenished itself when you weren't looking.
I say take a mandatory day off. NO writing, NO book planning, no matter what. No excuses!
:)
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