What the Tide Brings In
Much like the tide, the life of a creative is often measured in terms of cycles. We might cycle moods or mediums periodically. We might even cycle through art forms entirely. More often than not, what we're cycling through is the ebb and flow of motivation and creative energy. As the sort of writer who likes to hop from one hobby to the next, it's when I'm not creating at all that you know I am in big trouble.
I found myself in one of those ruts in recent years. The weight of time, grief, and the endless rat race of capitalism found me spiraling down a familiar hole where no light shone to allow me to write... or paint, or journal, or what have you. So, feeling somewhat miserable and wholly unlike myself, I did the one thing that was sure to liven up my senses... I took a risk.
(Please note: No further damage to my knees was necessary for said risk. I am in my 30s now, I must be mindful of such things. No one tell my roller-skates.)
Actual image of me after putting on said skates.
I joined a local writer's group. In person. I started attending pretty regularly, too. And that kind of commitment is hard to come by in this post-pandemic era.
So, for the last year or so, I have trekked down these southern California streets to a quaint little shop to meet up with a bunch of writers who also decided a bit of body doubling was what they needed to get creating. And so far, it has worked wonderfully. Am I still struggling with this middle section of my WIP? Yes. But am I still writing? Also yes.
There is no more languishing. No making excuses for too long. No more months disappear without at least a few good lines being produced along the way. The guilt and hope of accountability is a hell of a drug. If you are struggling to find motivation to keep creating amidst the chaos of your everyday life, I encourage you to find a group in your local area and try it for yourself.
"But what good is a group going to do if I don't know what I want to create yet?"
Great question, rhetorical reader! And to that, I have one answer:
Don’t let Zuck be the only one.
I know, I know. We've been there, done that bit before. But trust me. Just kick yourself out the door, grab yourself a hot beverage, and sit your behind in that public chair with your writing tools ready to go. Let your mind wander. Let your fingers find the words. You might be surprised at what you create.
I have written at least two chapters, three short stories, and a few poems since joining my group. We usually start out with a prompt, so there's never a pressure to go in with a project in mind. The goal is simple: get your mind working and your words flowing. If you write anything, even a stream of consciousness brainstorm of how you can't pin down exactly what to write yet, that's great! The important part is you stretch those muscles -- and that you learn do it while people are watching. (It's not as weird as it sounds, I promise.) There are no closed doors to hide behind when you're creating in a group. Either your fingers are moving and the words are coming out or they're not. It's a challenge. Sometimes it can feel like a direct threat. But overall, it's usually just an invitation to do what you were wanting to do anyway. Plus an added bit of peer pressure, for good measure.
Those baby-steps, the small risks you take to get out of your house, out of your head, and into your art will make all the difference. Allow yourself to take little leaps that will help you build muscle so you can take bigger leaps in the future.
Like PARKOUR!
"What kind of leaps?" You might ask, oh, rhetorical one...
How about taking on your first project as editor of a literary magazine?
"Oddly specific," you say. To which I will agree.
And that brings me to my next point: When you start to take little steps off your path of comfort, you find new things to intrigue and excite you. Like, when one of my fellow writers announced a plan to publish a zine full of works written by group members -- and I wanted to help.
I couldn't tell you why the little voice in my head bid me to get up and insert myself into my fellow writer's vision, but it did. Perhaps it was something to do with that Canva pro subscription burning a hole in my pocket. (Dungeons and Dragons can't be the only thing I use it for, can it?) To my surprise and delight, they enthusiastically accepted my offer of assistance. So, I've spent the last month bouncing between DMs, conference calls, and late nights backlit by my laptop screen, arranging and re-arranging blocks of text 'til my eyelids drooped. It's been exhilarating.
You could say my ERA has begun…
My interest in sympathetic magick tells me that like energies attract. Maybe that's why, nose-deep in this new and consuming work, I also received good news in reference to a story I had sent out into the world months ago. More info to come on that later... But for now, I will take it as reassurance from the Universe that good things really do come when you put yourself out there. Sometimes, taking a risk on yourself pays off.
All that’s to say: Things are coming along. A lot of exciting announcements will be made here and on the Projects page in the near future. The tide is slowly rolling back in, reader.
And if you don't want to just read about my successes and would like to start creating some of your own, heed Bilbo Baggins' words and walk right out your front door. It's a risk, but one that's worth it. Chase down a dream, or maybe just a wild hair every now and then. You might be surprised what you find washing in on the tide. Could just be seaweed... Or it could be your next win.