First, Fix What Ails You.

Are you tired, stressed and down right crabby?
Do you find yourself working too hard?
Maybe you're stomping on that gas peddle,
spinning your wheels in futility and
digging a deep hole rather than moving forward.

Often, we believe running faster,
and putting our shoulder to the wheel will assure success.

How's that working for you?

Months ago, I wrote my tush off, plotted, edited,
and rewrote till by eyes burned and my back spasmed.
Determined to be productive.

I thought.

Pages mounted, but on inspection they lacked that indescribable spark
that ignites a readers soul and warms the heart.

Why?

 I studied craft. I spent ample time writing.
What had I missed?

Living!

I'd thrown myself off balance.
All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl.

My characters were grey as an old fence and just as wooden.
And the plots were dry as the salt flats,
because I'd forgotten an important tool in fiction.

Play.

Engaging in the creation of art should be fun, joyful and exciting.
I'd made it a distasteful chore.
Big grimace at that realization.
Not as painful as a root canal with out anaesthesia, but close.
What I'd slaved to produce bored the hell out of me.

No fun.
No life.
No point in anyone reading that drivel.

I took a break and forced myself to venture out, go to a movie,
have dinner with friends, and reconnect with the joys of the world.
It took a few weeks to recover from my Spartan diet of fun,
but it happened.

I made a leap from my logical, rule oriented side of my brain
to the playful, intuitive and creative mind.

Characters gained depth.
Plots sizzled with danger and excitement.
I enjoyed the process and the result.
It was fun.

Fun and work do not have to be at odds.
They can be joined together.

Wow.
Wish I'd known that as a kid.
I would've grumbled less at cleaning my room.
Somehow, I missed this lesson when watching "Mary Poppins."

This week take time to play.
Grab your journal and jot down at least ten things to do that fill your heart,
or make you laugh and giggle.
Your writing will improve.
So will your life.

Every day play from your list.
In time you'll be spontaneous and not need the prompts.
Kids don't need directions to fun.
They just are.

Jot your experience in your journal.
Please share your comments with the group.
Share the joy! Be the fun!

Let's Get Clear.

Clarity can come from stillness,
that quiet moment when the chatter stops,
the light bulb flashes and you understand.

It can also come from removing yourself from your normal routine.
Anyone working in a creative field needs to recharge and gain perspective.
We all do.
One way is to get away from life and go on retreat.
A place free of your regular demands and schedule.

As a child, we vacationed in the Sequoias in Norther California.
Giant red woods, some over two thousand years in age,
brought a sense of awe to my ten year old mind
reminding me that I wasn't the center of the universe.

Such outings have the power to change our point of view
giving us a creative surge to think outside the box and solve problems.
Write, paint, create.

If you can't take off for a few days and commune with your muse,
then build an oasis at home.
No television or other avoidance or addictive behaviors allowed.
Stop grumbling, it's only for a few days.

Do things different, change it up.
When you get home from work, light candles, take a long bath,
and listen to soothing music.
Watch the stars and reverence the immensity of the universe.
Do something out of the ordinary.

Physical change opens us up to mental change.

Take a new route to work or the store.
Try using your left hand if right handed.
Go to a different restaurant.
Try a unique hobby.

This can take your mind out of it's rut to new horizons.
Each new experience creates new pathways in your brain.
You become smarter, more able to deal with situations in new ways.
You see solutions.
A definite asset for a writer.

The goal is to retreat from the dull and expected
and break into the untried.
Make a point to try something new every day.
It's a mini vacation.
You vacate the norm.

This week create a retreat.
It can be a few days,
it may be at home, on the other side of the world
or just one opportunity that stretches you.
Any and all are good.

Jot your plan and experience in your journal.
Pen how it feels.
Notice how it affects your creativity and attitude. 

Please share your experience with the rest of us.
If commenting is a new activity for you,
then please feel free to express your thoughts here.

As for me,  I'm starting work on a different writing genre.
Pushing boundaries is freeing.

Free yourself.
You can do it!