A to Z Blog Challenge -- E Equals the Five 'E's for Creative People

Week 2 of the A to Z Blog Challenge opens with five elements that should be in every creative person's toolbox.

EQUIP Yourself

For a tradesperson such as a construction worker, what is one of the first things you think about when you picture this person? For me, the tool belt worn on the body, ready with the tools he needs at arms' length when walking onto the job site comes to mind.

For some reason, many people with creative dreams are hesitant to take that first step and begin to equip themselves with the tools they need in order to transform from the dreaming-about-it stage into the actually-doing-it stage.

Perhaps finances are a problem. Start somewhere -- save a bit here and there, but with purpose. You'll eventually have enough to purchase that first piece of equipment that starts you on the road to turning your creative concept into something tangible.

EMPLOY Assistance

As much as a creative person needs the world to stop while she gets down to working on her project, the world keeps right on spinning.

How do you carve out the time you need in order to write, paint, sculpt, take photos, sew?

The same way you would show up for a day job: make an appointment with your creative project and keep it.

If you need to find someone to look after your children for several hours so you can work on your book, head out with your camera or sit down uninterrupted at your sewing machine, book that time with a sitter. Ever hear the phrase 'put your money where your mouth is'? Take your creative work time seriously, as seriously as you would a pay cheque day job.

EFFECTIVE Use of Time 

So you've got your tools and you've carved out your time to work. Don't be surprised at a strange phenomenon -- you haven't chosen the right time for you.

This is something only you can discover.

It all comes down to whether you're a daytime person or a night owl. One of those two segments of the day will be your 'on' time, where the ideas are flowing easily and you feel like you're on fire.

If you're a daytime person and you try to be creative following your day job and once the kids are in bed, you will spend lots of time yawning and gazing at your computer screen while getting nothing accomplished. Try setting the alarm clock a few hours early and claiming those hours for yourself, before the rest of the world gets up.

ENERGY

This is a very difficult thing to manage, especially if you're not working full time in your creative life. Juggling family life, a day job, a social life and the day-to-day errands can use up all the energy you've got before you even attempt to work on your project.

This is where pacing comes in.

You may feel like a thoroughbred in the starting gates, bursting with ideas and energy. It's quite like the start of a love affair, finally working on your dreams. If we think of those thoroughbred horses, however, there are a few things to keep in mind about those high-octane athletes. They are trained carefully for stamina and speed, and then retired after only a few years of racing -- because they are already burnt out at three years old. They shine brilliantly but briefly at an elite level of athleticism. A creative person generally wants to run more of a marathon than perform at sprint levels.

If you burn the candle at both ends for too long, your creative work will suffer. Learn to conserve your own energy and to build up your stamina over time.

ENGAGE Your Muse

In order to have a creative well that you can dip into, you need to replenish that well regularly.

This may require blocking off time to yourself so you can simply be.

Sometimes this means a date with yourself, where you employ assistance so that you can head out shopping with a friend instead of working on your project. Perhaps you and your husband need a night out at the movies. Maybe there's an exhibit at the museum and you really, really want to see it.

Instead of thinking of these things as time wasters and frivolous indulgences, as a creative person you require inspiration in order to be in close contact with your muse. Give these renewal periods the same importance as you would your writing time or your sketching time. You'll find that you spend less time staring at a blank page when you and your muse have a healthy relationship.

I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas today

Join me at The Popculturedivas to find out about my relationship with creative obsessions. 

Wading into the Sea of Life for Some Peace and Quiet

I'm working on both new material and revisions for my work in progress, which presents a challenge for someone like me. Revisions pretty much have to be tackled at the computer. New material I find easiest to do longhand in a notebook, which I then type into the computer later.

I've been tightening previous chapters to get ready for submission, which takes a certain head space for me. I took a little break from writing new stuff while I did that, but I needed to get back into the story and get chapters ready for my critique partners. We meet every two weeks, which really puts the drive on to produce.

Unfortunately, all the tweaking of my previous material was taking up the lion's share of my creative thinking. But I wanted to get more than a scene to my prolific critique partners, which is about all I was putting out for the last few meetings. This week I was determined to get some new writing done.

Several distractions later and I still hadn't forged ahead very far. But I noticed I was getting somewhere when I pulled out my notebook on the bus and got down to business. So tonight I decided to head to the mall to kick my writing into high gear. It worked like a charm.

First I wrote on the bus heading out to the mall after work. Then I dropped off my film for processing, the initial impetus for going to the mall in the first place. Then I headed for the food court, ordered dinner and continued writing as I ate. I looked around a bit, found some great picture frames at Dollarama, six of which I bought. Then I headed home, which involved waiting for the bus, taking the bus across the bridge, waiting for another bus, and taking that one home.

That translates into writing. Lots of it. Standing and waiting for the bus is twenty minutes of writing. And there's no one to distract me with talking. Riding the bus is more writing. The whole evening was a nice break for myself, wandering around thinking. Looking at stuff and thinking. I go to the mall to regroup and re-energize. Seeing all the displays sparks my creativity. People-watching sparks my creativity. And enforced solitude during travel really gets those words down on paper. There's no one to ask me 'what do you think about this or that problem?' No one to tell me all the things they've been doing. No one to remind me we've got this and that coming up on the calendar. Nothing to use up my time and energy like the dreaded housework.

My evening at the mall was a little oasis of sanity. And I came out from tonight's meanderings with a scene that really gets some momentum going for my female character. Plus when I got back, I still had time to visit with my mom and grandma, do a load of laundry, wash some dishes, talk to my sister on the phone, and take my dog Xena for a short walk. Somewhere in there I have to get some sleep before tomorrow...