I am not a bunny with endless energy as seen in television commercials. I used to believe the busier I was the more organized I was, but time has shown me that more likely I was simply choosing what area of life suffered to allow another task to be completed. I no longer have the energy I once had, or the desire to be that busy. There are ways to ensure enough energy is still available to do what God calls me to do, like write. In considering the theme of “artist dates”, I see how I plug in to recharge for writing. Perhaps some of these will work for you, too.
Plug in to God. In Acts 3:6 Peter said “I do not have silver or gold, but what I have I will give to you.” I cannot give out what I have not taken in, so feeding on God’s Word ensures a steady source of fuel. God’s Word is meant to be useful in all areas of life (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), including writing. Plugging into relationship with God provides me with direction in life, and the energy to do what he asks as I lean into him.
Plug into Others.
Read what others write. Listen to what others write. Talk about what others write. Join a book club. Attend a writers’ group where there is conversation and creativity with others who love the medium of words. In our Peace Region Christian Writers group, we share what we are writing, sometimes just to hear the words play on each other and sometimes for the value of critique. Sometimes we write a fun exercise to practice something new. Those meetings inspire and make me want to write more.
Plug into solitude. This is a favourite of introverts, but extroverts also need time away from “daily life” where they have uninterrupted time to focus on writing. Find a place where the surroundings inspire – a cabin in the woods, or a bench in your own garden.
Another way to plug into solitude is to be alone in a crowd. Go to the grocery store not to buy milk, but to people-watch. Or take one of your fictional characters along with you to stand in line at the bank, to see how they react to the wait. Try sitting alone amidst the smells and conversations of a busy coffee shop. Inspiration will flow in surprising ways.
Plug into Creativity.
Take time away from writing but not from creativity. Find another method of expression. Drawing, music, photography, wood carving, or card-making - anything creative feeds your soul and helps you see from a different perspective, which will also enhance your writing. I am often surprised at the photos my camera captures as I look for the “macro” and the detailed “micro” of life around me.
Plug into freedom. Give yourself permission not to write, not to create - not to be productive while still feeding your soul. The television will not do this for you. I do this by climbing onto the passenger seat of my husband’s motorcycle. It is impossible to hold a pen and paper with the wind whipping around you, yet I use all my senses, which energizes creativity. I see the landscape differently than ever before. I hear the roar of the engine. I feel the road surface and the lean of the corners. I smell wildflowers and skunk. I taste the bugs… all right, maybe not the bugs - I taste the cool water from a roadside stream when we stop for a break. I experience the freedom of not being in control.
There are many ways to plug in to recharge your writing. Find what energizes your creativity, and indulge yourself.
Photo credits:
Rabbit – http://www.pexels.com - public domain
All others –Marnie Pohlmann
