Wednesday 7 April 2010

no writing ......

I am not writing at all. Snippets here and there but nothing of any interest and no sustained effort. It has made me think about creativity and what is the enemy of creativity? There must be things in each of our lives that tend to stop us from spending time with our creative selves. I know for myself, that not spending enough time alone, walking, or just "being" in silence means that my own "writer" voice gets no air time. things like TV, twitter, facebook, too many friends around etc mean i hvae no space in my head for creativity. Only when i go for long daily walks on my own (at least an hour twice a day) do I start to feel the little whispers coming through- i write things in my head as I walk and then put them to paper a few days later when they have formed into a whole. Of course lots of rewriting on paper over time but they stat as an internal conversation I have out walking. No walks- no writing! I was wonder what everyone else feels is an enemy to their creative self? send thoughts!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Fiona

    Bold and brave of you to air such thoughts on here. I have been suffering from the same malaise.

    I find that television and facebook, the internet and my boyfriend all seem to detract from my creativity - as well as reading and chocolate. Obviously I can decide how to use my time and I have also drifted away from doing my morning pages. Basically too much input tends to fill the mind which then becomes lethargic as if its trying to digest it all.

    I tried a little writing last thing at night last night but there was not such an urge to write then as opposed to first thing in the morning. So assigning more time to self and creative pursuits seems to be the order of the day. With that in mind I wrote a sort of limeric today about a man who I saw descending the stairs at my train station backwards (yes!!) - an odd sight.

    Julia Cameron in her book "The Artist's Way" suggests having a week of little or no input so that the mind is then starved and forced to produce something creative for its own amusement!! Sounds just what the doctor ordered...

    Narayani

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  2. yes! i LOVE Julia Cameron! last Fri it took myself off on an artists date and YES i managed to produce some work- not fabulous etc but things managed to start ticking over again. If we think of ourselves as a friend to our creative selves- as if it was another person, a dear friend, then I have been a very bad friend to my (very forgiving) creative self. Julia cameron is SO good with the practices- morning pages and artists dates are just what the doctor ordered for the malady:) I have a "date" in the forest tomrrow with my creative self. looking forward to class next week though and seeing everyone again!

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