Creative Mamas

When I have very little energy – especially very little creative energy – I go into “Collection Mode”. I start looking around for something – anything to refuel my energy levels and give me a fresh start. I usually start by roaming around in a bookstore or by people watching in a coffee shop. I pull piles of books of off my shelves at home, stack them next to my bed and start flipping through. Not really reading – just flipping. I’m looking for that one word or phrase to remind me of who I am and why I am here.

Almost every book I’ve read on creativity and creative writing recommends going for a walk to get the creative juices flowing. Brenda Euland’s, If You Want To Write, makes walking practically mandatory. Kenneth Atchity in A Writer’s Time tells about a time he ran around the block to avoid a creative “slump”. When returned winded, his writing began to flow once again. Both of these teachers believe that moving yourself physically is an excellent way to shake off the blahs. Move! Get your blood pumping and those synapses firing once again.

The best thing you can do is know yourself. Know what works and go do it. (Now, if shopping therapy is what does it for you, you might want to freeze those credit cards in a block of ice and use the time it takes them to thaw to come up with a new strategy.)

Here’s a list of the Ten Ways to Refuel Your Creative Energy.

(If you want to add some of your own, visit the guestbook and leave all of your creative sisters a love note.)

1. Walk or Run – Get out of your head and into your body. Oxygenate the blood and get the heart pumping.
   
   
2. Go on a Book Crawl –Walk up and down the aisles of your favorite bookstore and read the spines of the books. Touch the books. Feel the paper. Get tactile and relish the way black ink jumps off the page into your heart and mind. Browse through the sections you’ve never been in before.
   
   
3. People Watch – Go sit on the stoop with a cup of coffee. Go to the local coffee shop, get your latte and settle yourself into a corner with a good vantage point. (Bring along a notebook. You will probably need it.)
   
   
4. Find the Music that Matches Your Mood and Relish It – Dive into that blue mood. Dive into your exhaustion. Play the music that makes you feel it. Dance to it or sit still. Play it loud and go wherever it takes you. Take the journey through your feelings by pouring them into the music.
   
   
5. Clean Something Until is Sparkles – This is a good time to clean the grout with a toothbrush. Don’t leave that bathroom until every tile shines.
   
   
6. Color – Keep a collection of children’s coloring books handy. Get yourself a brand new box of Crayolas. That waxy smell will trigger something, I guarantee it. Susanne F. Fincher’s Mandala coloring books are a great treat if this is what does it for you.
   
   
7. Go on Creativity Fast – Tell yourself you are not allowed to create anything at all for a minimum of 48 hours. Do not pick up a pencil or paintbrush and do not turn on the computer. You are fasting. This will actually drive you nuts and by the time your fast is over you should be ready for a creative binge.
   
   
8. Make a Play Date – Get connected with that friend you haven’t seen for three months. The one who lets you pour your heart and soul out and the one who pours her heart and soul out to you. Call her up and make a lunch date. Start pouring and fill each other’s cups.
   
   
9. Get out of Town – Take a weekend off and go by yourself. Keep the phone numbers of your favorite B&B’s handy. If you can’t manage a whole weekend, then go for the day. Travel alone – that’s the key.
   
   
10. Try Something New – Take a woodcarving or a bellydance class. Whatever it is, make sure it is something brand new and completely unrelated to your craft. Break out of that creative comfort zone.
    

Mix and match from all of the above and find what works for you. You can make your own Creative First Aid Kit. Fill it with crayolas, music, walking shoes, and emergency phone numbers.

Creative blessings to all of you! I’m off to the bookstore (without the credit cards).