Dear, dear creative friends,
It’s been too long. I am writing to let you know I am still here making time. The need is more urgent than ever, because in spite of how you might think it should be (teacher in summer and all that), all this loose time can be hard to tame. And this summer I am desperate to get some writing done.
It’s been all I can do these past many months to keep a small trickle of words flowing through my creative faucet. The balance of creative impulse and creative flow has been out of whack and this sense of futility had started to creep in. You know the one. How does anyone ever write a book anyway? It’s not like you’ll ever make much money from all this work and you already have a job that covers what you need. Imagine all that time you’d have to read books and watch TV if you just gave up this whole writing charade. You all probably know what a load of crap that is. The practice of writing is the reward, there is an impulse to write that is an integral part of who you are. You do it because you love it because through the process you become a better, more compassionate version of you.
But I didn’t give up, and as soon as summer appeared on the horizon, I made a plan. There was no way I was going to pass through this summer with a sparkling clean house, a weeded garden, and barely any progress on my novel. Oh, hell no, as my good friend Carrie would say.
What’s the plan?
It’s so simple.
And it is working!
Each day from wake up to noon? Creative time.
No phone. No chores. Not even loading the dishwasher or anything else I tell myself I can do real quick. I do make coffee and walk the dogs, but then it is time to write. I have a small accountability group I check in with daily. So far this week I’ve edited seven chapters and gotten back to practicing guitar.
As luck would have it, There is often a yoga class offered at noon at my studio. I’ve been walking over there after my focused work and letting my yoga practice be my bridge back into the day-to-day work of householding.
My hope is to have a new draft of my novel by the end of July. Are you making time this summer? What are you working at?
Hubby is trying to get some songs recorded, so we’ve agreed to help each other prioritize creativity first every day.
Interested in hiring me as a coach to get you boosted with your writing goals? Find free resources and information here.
Some past posts to keep you making time:
It’s about the routine and how you shake up the routine
There are things you will have to give up