This isn’t the topic I had planned for today, but it was timely for me. Some of you who follow me on Twitter may know that I spent the week in the Toronto offices. To be very specific, I spent the week in the Toronto offices attending meetings. If we look back at my Monday-Thursday, the amount of time I spent not in meetings MIGHT equal 4 hours. Even my lunch hours were scheduled. And since you know I wasn’t in those meetings alone, you can imagine that many others in the Carina Press team were in a similar situation. In fact, I’m lucky to be at home today while many of them still have another day of meetings to look forward to.
So when I was thinking about this post this morning, and what I had planned to share with you (which was actually insights into my trip to the offices and what it’s like to work for Harlequin), my brain got tired. I’m mentally exhausted after a week of high-energy, high-focus meetings and brainstorming. My well runs dry, so to speak.
But this isn’t something unique to this week. I often have to make choices. Do I focus on the Carina Press blog or my personal blog? Do I tweet from my personal Twitter or Carina Twitter? What is my social media strategy going to be for Carina. What can we be doing better and differently and what can I improve? And where will I find the mental energy and resources to make those moves.
And this isn’t something unique to me. Everyone on the Carina Press/Harlequin team faces similar each day. And I know all of you do as well. Maybe you’re an author trying to tap your creative energy for the next book. Or you’re someone getting ready to start NaNoWriMo and wonder just how you’re going to do it. Or perhaps you’re a reader and you find yourself busy with work, home, life and suddenly hitting a reading slump where just nothing catches your interest because you can’t seem to focus.
What do we do when this happens, when we need to recharge. How do we nurture our creative energy?
I’m going to share what I do, and I’m hoping some of you will give me new ideas. Of course, what works for me might not work for you, and vice versa, but I’m still game to hear what you do, because I might want to try it!
1) First, I give myself permission to say no. No, I’m sorry I can’t do that (at least not today), no, I’m sorry I can’t help you. No, I’m sorry I can’t go on a field trip. Or cook dinner tonight. I think we often tell ourselves we can’t say no, because we don’t want people to think we don’t have it under control. Or we feel guilty and believe we’re ruining our children’s/family’s/parent’s/friend’s lives because we’ve said no. But the truth is, giving myself permission to say no is better for both them and me in the long run, because it makes me able to engage more enthusiastically and with more energy in the things I say yes to.
2) I do something different. I’m going to use reading as an example for this one. Sometimes I hit a reading slump and just nothing is catching my attention so instead of trying to force myself to read, I try a different medium. Usually for me, it’s TV shows. I don’t watch a lot of TV on a regular basis (because I’d rather read) but I do have a few favorite shows and I save them for times when my brain needs to engage in an alternate activity. I find that after a few days’ break, I’m ready to dive into a new book.
3) I take a break. And not just, from that task, but from the computer. I go cook, I go shopping (I do love me some retail therapy), I go for a walk or hang out with my family or have a date with my husband. Being at the computer can send my brain into a certain mindset, and it’s not truly a break unless I get away from it.
4) I search out something to inspire me. Maybe a conversation with friends, listening to music, reading articles. I look for sources of inspiration, things that will job that creative spark and re-energize the creative spirit.
Something I don’t do as much of as I should, but I know works for me:
Physical exercise. I get caught in a vicious cycle. I feel better after I exercise, I get a charge from it, and I do some great thinking while I’m exercising. But I have a problem giving myself permission to take the time to do this on a regular basis. Think of all the other things I could be getting done! I need to do better here.
So those are just a few broad and quick things that I do to nurture my creative self. What about you? Do you have something general or something very, very specific you can share?
Saying ‘No’ is huge for me. But sometimes (like Halloween) things/events just seem to consume me and I have to go with the flow of madness for a few days. And then I stop and say ‘No’ again.
Taking the time to walk the kids to school helps instill a certain calm to my day–right now I’m lucky to be able to do it and the alone time on the way home clears a space in my brain for creative thoughts.
That said I need to get on with creativity
I enjoyed reading your ideas of what I call regrouping of the creativity levers. It seems, in most of us, these fail to operate at times. I think one of the reasons is, overload. I am one of those gearing up for Nanowrimo, and felt to give my all at that time will take some preparation before hand. I loved your stance say “No” to somethings. That is a hard one for me. 2. Do something different works well for me. I am sorting out my winter clothes preparing for cold weather. I like to take a compete break from writing sometimes, but this is usually brief. And I also love to seek inspiration which often I find on Facebook with friends, believe it or not. Thanks for your blog.
Angela, thanks for sharing this. I love the part about ‘giving myself permission to say no’.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the most powerful word in the English language is NO. Once I learned to say no to those things that I couldn’t fit into my schedule I was a very happy person.
Great post! In my case, I work a technical job, so writing turned out to be a way for me to recharge my batteries. Now that I’m working seriously at writing (and still working my full time techie job), my way to recharge is shopping. I don’t have to BUY, but even looking gives me a chance to think about…nothing. I’ve been known to wander aimlessly around Target or my favorite second-hand shops.
And, I’ll admit, I’ll play Farmville on FB. (Yep. I’m one of *those* people.) It’s mindless, and gives me the same opportunity to think about nothing. 
Thank you! This is is a great reminder to us all that we need to take time for ourselves. We can’t be anything to anyone unless we’re something to ourselves first.
I’m so pleased to see saying NO at the top of the list. I think that’s something we all struggle with, usually because, as you say, we think we’re ruining people’s lives. It’s such an important word though.
When I need to recharge, I usually take off to the hills with the dogs and give myself permission not to think about anything. It’s peaceful, there’s no one around and the dogs don’t answer back.
Oh yes, and I’m a great believer in retail therapy.
I find a big thing for me is changing location. Whether it’s taking my computer on a trip out of town or simply to the neighbourhood coffee shop, a change of scenery works wonders. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to my creative energy when I can get out of my house and stare at someone else’s walls for a while. I managed to rewrite a scene that had been bugging the crap out of me for ages simply by taking the ol’ laptop to the library for a couple of hours.
Great advice, especially on the giving yourself permission to say no. Not enough women (men have no trouble with it) allow themselves that option. I definitely hit that creative wall or just OD on computer time. Exercise helps and so do other creative outlets, like doing a craft project or even reorganizing my closet.
I’m afraid I don’t get time or space to do anything as indulgent as recharging–I wish I did. I have to push on, daily to meet my goal while looking after my Dad with Alzheimer’s. He does nap from time to time, but I’ve just learned to work around him and write when I can!
Walks with my dog, or taking my toddler to the playground can really do wonders. They’re both so naively happy lol That any time spent with them can really be a true enjoyment.
Or I put on my iPod earbuds and crank up the sound (yeah, I’ll be deaf in 10 years…) and dance around the house while doing something like vacuuming or folding laundry. Somehow, chores aren’t half as bad if I can do them while shaking my booty.
I research things that I’m excited about. Vacation spots or dessert recipes. New places to visit in the city we just recently moved to.
I reorganize something. I’m an organizer at heart. So I redo my bookshelf’s organization, or my closet, or my shoe shelf, or my desk. The feeling afterward is so supremely rewarding.
This is a female thing isn’t it?
How many men do you know who say no? I can’t think of one.
We run the home, cook, look after the kids, give our DH amazing physical pleasures (!) Okay, the last one might be an exaggeration. But you know what I mean.
Add into all this, if you are a writer or editor and have a ‘to do’ list longer than the San Francisco bridge, a career!! What do you do? Well, you burnout occasionally. The great thing is to identify it in the first place and not try to ‘keep going.’
Personally I get out into nature. Hills, water, trees, whatever works for you. Re-connect to people you care about. Sleep. Take a break. Step back. Prioritise. Say NO in a nice way.
There is such a thing as too much information. Blackberry’s, email, demand to deliver NOW. Too much Facebook, blogs, twitter and keeping everyone happy and being successful.
When the hell do you get time to write?
I am an aspiring writer. For the past twelve months I’ve devoured every edtorial comment, thought and future thought of what a publisher wants me to write. My brain is scrambled. Guess what? Have I written what they and the public want in the future? Nope. Too busy worrying about what they want and being an ass. So, no more blogging. No more facebook/twitter surfing until I’ve actually written the thing.
Sorry for the rant Angela, but you know what I mean.
x
One way to say no while not appearing to say no is to say what you will do, or what you are doing instead.
Someone want you to watch their kids? Say, “Ooh, we already have plans that night.” It doesn’t matter if your plan is to sit home and read. A plan is a plan.
When someone wants you to chaperone field trips and you can’t, say, “my work schedule really will not allow it this week.” If you don’t feel like cooking dinner, say “Hmm. Let’s order in tonight.”
The idea is to focus on what you are going to do, rather than what you won’t or can’t do.
Works for me!
Great timing on this post. Love the concept of “saying no”. I work full-time, play tennis 3 times a week, beta read for 3 authors and I’m on the executive of my tennis club (11 years – 4 as president). RE: tennis club exec thing. I’m not having fun anymore. I enjoy it but I’m getting burned out. Getting over the guilty feelings so I can step down because the same core group of people step up every year & it’s time for others to give.
Thanks for the timely post.
Beyond No means No, for the things that just must get done, I always evaluate to what degree they need to get done, and to what degree must ‘done’ be done by me. So, am I going to crazy lengths for something, when a simple application of time and energy would produce a result, that while different, would still be acceptable? (in otherwords, don’t be superwoman if averagewoman will work. Superwoman is a myth most time, and best reserved for when you really need to turn amps to 11). And, if I don’t need to do it, can I delegate it? This priorty of degrees approach helps me be ready to go to the boards for a fire style emergency, but preserve my reserves so I don’t run dry. Then, the other thing I like to do is follow my bliss. Especially with pre-novel work, it’s a huge churning mass of stuff that needs to be distilled. I shut down the inner critic, give her the day or week or month off (She’s exhausting anyway). Usually my bliss likes to play. So I keep fun stuff around. Paper, markers, notebooks, strange articles, unusual magazines, what ever catches my fancy I follow for a brief period. Its less stressfull than saying “no” to myself, and allows the muse to cavort. Even a few hours of a ‘play date with your inner self’ can work magic. It gets you out of your mental head space, and allows you to run latteral moves creatively. Last, take a walk. If I can’t walk, I hit the sauna at the Y, or, just meditate for ten minutes. Sometimes the brain needs total Null Space. It lets all the stuff that’s backed up during the forced march of regular life slip out. Kind of a safety pressure valve.