Overthinking

I find myself overthinking nearly every aspect of my life.  You know, simple things:  should I do laundry today or put it off till tomorrow?  Should I wear this shirt or this one?  Should I go to the mailbox now or later?  It can be crippling and also bleed over into the creative aspects of my life.  The last chapter of my book is a good example.  I keep overthinking how each detail should be and so I haven’t written as much on it as I would like.  Then I decide that writing an entire book in one month isn’t normal either so maybe it needs some time to germinate.  In the meantime I have enjoyed reading other books, working in the yard, and gathering inspiration from unconventional sources.   The dogwoods are in bloom and soon the azaleas will be, too.

Currently listening to:  “Don’t” by Billy Currington

Hot Blooded

While the weather is unusually hot, I have enjoyed opening the windows and letting the breeze blow through the house.  These days have given me a lot of time to listen to music and edit my novel.  The heat can do strange things to us.  It can cause our minds to hallucinate and see or hear things that aren't there.  It also has the power to make us happy.  Heading out into the sun gets us closer to nature.  The sun gives us a reason to gather after we bid goodbye to the harshness of winter.  This is probably the most beautiful time of the year to live in the mountains--the redbuds are in bloom, their buds brilliant against the green of the trees and grass.  Spring renews us, reawakens us to the possibilities of life.  It also keeps life interesting by providing severe storms and severe allergies. My birthday comes at the end of spring, so maybe that's why it has always been so special to me.

Listening to: "Love is Looking for You" by Miranda Lambert

Sun and Rain

Recently we had storms that knocked out our power...which is common.  Storms often knock out our power.  It always gets me thinking about how dependent we are on electricity in our everyday lives.  It is impossible to imagine our lives now without the computer.  It has, as some have noted, "flattened the earth".  We have the ability to share our feelings with like-minded peers across the country and across the world.  This type of communication allows us to learn in new ways that were unimaginable a generation ago.  For better of worse, the majority of my graduate degree was earned online.  This type of setting teaches self-discipline, among other things.  On a more philosophical level, though, I wonder if we could survive a world without technology? The sun still provides light during the most important time of the day, and rain still provides nourishment if you are lucky enough to live outside the desert. Still, I am not quite ready to forgo my computer; it's providing far too much help these days!

Road Blocks

On the road of life, we sometimes find our path blocked.  Some of these road blocks are functional, some are personal, and others are self-generated.  As I approach the end of my novel, I feel a bit of writer’s block.  I suppose this is a self-generated road block.  Completion in life, and coming to the end of something, is usually scary.  We find ourselves outside of our comfort zone and vulnerable to the harshness of the world.  I had similar feelings when graduating high school and completing each of my college degrees.  I no longer had the structure I had craved.  I enjoyed not homework but rather the act of being “scheduled” or having my time planned out for me. 
At the same time, I look forward to completion.  I looked forward to having those pieces of paper that said I was a graduate, that someone deemed my work special and significant.  I look forward to finishing my novel and sharing it with the world.  Or at the very least, a few committed readers who were so essential to my creative process.

Currently listening to:  “Love Letters” by Miranda Lambert

Creativity

We all derive creativity from a variety of sources.  There is no right or wrong way to stimulate the creative process--different scenarios are right for different individuals.  A list of things that enable my creativity:
-Good music, particularly country.  The amazing songs of Miranda Lambert have been on rotation a lot lately.   Adele and Kelly Clarkson have also been on there when I need some melancholy.

-Books.  Unless a book is truly bad, it can almost always inspire me to think about something from another perspective, to turn my pre-conceived notions on their ears.

-Television shows--some more than others, of course.  Movies usually work by the same token.  A nice bit of comedy or a nice love story always puts my mind in a good place.

-Sunshine.  What's funny about this one is that I tend to be creative at nighttime, when the sun has been replaced by the moon.  Still, I can't imagine myself being creative in a place where the sun rarely shows itself; nice weather puts me in a good mood.

-Friends.  Really good friends only add to our creativity.  They help us to believe in ourselves when we get discouraged.  I am thankful for each and every one of you.

What are some things that inspire you to be more creative?

I Can Do This

The greatest thing about writing this novel is that not a single person has told me I can't. It hs been blessing to have so much encouragment throughout this project. These well-wishers guide me and motivate me. They show me that I can do this.

Day One

After more than a year of unemployment, self-pity, and a variety of other emotions, I began to realize that I wasn't fully exploiting my gifts and talents, or at least not fully exploring them.  To that end, and with encouragement from numerous friends, I began to write a novel.  Throughout the course of college I was blessed with never having to write anything longer than a final exam.  Therefore, the idea of full-length writing is still somewhat foreign to me.  I do things in a stream of consciousness, free association manner.  I brainstorm and type up various ideas before I begin to compose the actual work.  Here, I did that.  Taking my inspiration from a few different places I began to write a romance novel.  After less than a month of writing I have nearly completed the story.  Of course I will have to go through some intense editing but I hope, ideally, to have the story published before my next birthday.