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Surrender the Pen

Right after you bring that crazy busy week to a close, just as you head out of town with family, as soon as you think to yourself, No chance for writing, I’m sure, there you are, surrounded by inspiration and ideas, gifted with little pockets of time. That was me, last weekend: deep in the north woods, working hard no to worry about the book I wanted to finish reading and the interview questions I had to write and the blog post I needed to draft; thinking, if I won’t have time to write, I might as well forget it. I might as well enjoy every minute of this last vacation of the season. It was then that creativity started popping up everywhere, and time expanded so I could scribble more words into my notebook than I expected.

The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.
~ Julia Cameron

Birch Tree Kingdom

Three days in the woods is ample time for kids to create a whole world under a canopy of birch and pine. The path leading up to the Kingdom was lined with twigs and moss and gave way underfoot, slightly, hinting at the years it took to form and the relief in (finally) being discovered. There were birch bark crowns for everyone (taken from a fallen soldier), designated guards, and a store that ran on a strange stick-bartering system. I took mental notes. I drew from their free-spirited imagination.

Campfire Revelations

We burned only one camp fire over the weekend, and I’m glad I didn’t skip the opportunity to sit in the circle. Besides the chocolate, graham crackers, and monster-sized marshmallows, camp fires are where stories are told, where people and real-life events spark a writer’s mind with scenes for “that novel” or idiosyncrasies for characters barely developed. I made s’mores, listened intently, then ran inside and wrote down those ideas. Because, bits and pieces of different conversations often come together to form whole, made-up stories.

Endings

Like the last few pages in a good book, the sunset on the final evening brought the rush of fun to a quiet, satisfying close. I had just walked the path of Birch Tree Kingdom when I turned and saw the shades of pink riding along the water and sifting through the clouds. The boat turned over, hunkered down for the winter, was the final image I noticed.

In that moment, I realized the whole weekend had been one long and unplanned artist date.

Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. …[Art feeds] our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration.
~Julia Cameron, on juliacameronlive.com

Sometimes, letting go of the work is as important as doing the work.

What surprised you this week and sent you running to your notebook?

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Set Your Sights on What You Want

I’ve noticed a common thread running through a favorite book revisted and a couple of blog posts lately: you must chart your own path to a creative life.

I know what you’re thinking.

Oh, great, a post full of “The Little Engine that Could” rhetoric. Delete. Skip. Unsubscribe.

I get it. Rejections and Writer’s block will do that to a person, turn you into a realist and a pessimist (they do that to me, anyway). But, don’t roll your eyes just yet.

Anne Lamott wrote an essay (you can read it here, on Sunset.com) about finding time so you can “create the rich life you deserve.” She says:

…[C]reative expression, whether that means writing, dancing, bird-watching, or cooking, can give a person almost everything that he or she has been searching for: enlivenment, peace, meaning, and the incalculable wealth of time spent quietly in beauty.

It makes sense, right? Don’t you feel great when you bind off the last stitch of a scarf you knitted from that crazy pattern that made you cross-eyed? And, the scarf looks as lovely as the photo!  How about when you serve up that meal you made from scratch that, soon after, becomes everyone’s favorite? And, once in a while – admit it – you take a picture with your digital camera that’s so good, it cries out for professional framing and a place on your living room wall.

Whenever we create something, on purpose or by accident, the result is a shot of adrenaline, a skip in our step, a whole new outlook on the day. So, why not set our sights on experiencing those moments more often than not?

Julia Cameron has successfully published a whole series of books that link creativity to spirituality, books that offer advice and written exercises to help guide you towards creative success. I worked through The Artist’s Way, and while I did roll my eyes at some of what Cameron wrote, I followed her advice anyway. I started writing morning pages; I listed my aspirations (and, in doing so, sent them out into the celestial world so that they might come true); I took my writing seriously, for once.

Things started happening – mostly because I put thought into action – and some of those early aspirations have come true.

Sage Cohen wrote a book (The Productive Writer) and writes on her blog (The Path of Possibility) with a similar philosophy in mind: teaching writers “strategies, systems, and psychologies” to increase productivity. Cohen’s guest post on Lisa Romeo Writes offers a glimpse into Cohen’s belief that answering a few simple questions can re-kindle or re-focus anyone’s  creative juices.

First, she asks, “What do you intend for your experience to be each time you sit down to write [or knit or cook or whatever]? Inspired, meditative, energized?” I write in concentrated chunks of time, time that generally falls within the late evening hours. When I sit down to write, it’s so much less about meditation than it is about energy — a “get ‘er done” kind of energy. I save my morning pages for meditative writing. Sure, I want to be inspired when I sit down to write, but I’ll take inspiration at any point during the day: on a five minute bus ride, while listening to a song, when I’m standing in line at the gas station. That’s why I keep a notebook handy.

Cohen also asks, “How do you define success in any of the following: publication, money, awards, leadership, freedom/flexibility/continued time to write?” At this point in my writing career, I don’t focus on monetary success. But, I can outline what success might look like in terms of publication, awards, and the amount of time I find to write. I’ve yet to have one of my short stories published, but a few of my other shorter pieces and a poem are in print. And, I managed to get my name on a list of Glimmer Train’s Honorable Mentions last summer. The Honorable Mention wasn’t on my original list of goals, but once I firmed up even a small vision of what I wanted, I kick-started an inner drive to turn that vision – and then some – into a reality.That’s worth remembering on a day when that rejection letter hits my inbox.

What about you?Have you read The Artist’s Way or The Productive Writer? Do you buy into the idea that if we dream it, we can live it?

~

On a side note, I haven’t ignored the results from that poll I ran a few weeks ago. It seems you still want a good flash fiction read here and there. I’m already thinking of ways to incorporate more flash fiction, mine or pieces of fellow writers. Thanks for voting!

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