Any writer will tell you filling a blank page with the words of a first draft is hard. Luckily, I have found something I call a “creativity circle” which helps me push through. It all started some months ago, when I was talking with a few romance writing friends about how we all stay motivated to write. One of the friends described for us a visualization exercise which included thinking of one of the chakra colors and then imagining a circle in that color on the ground in front of us. Once we could see that colored circle in our mind’s eye then we each stepping into our circle, where we could feel the energy and joy and warmth which comes to us when we write. As luck would have it, I was looking at online crochet patterns a few weeks later, when I stumbled across one for a large cowl. This circular garment was large enough to fit around the model’s shoulders in one of the pictures. Looking at that photo, I immediately thought of my circle in the visualization exercise. How wonderful would it be, I thought, if instead of an imaginary circle on the floor, I could have a real circle around my shoulders? That quickly, “creativity circles” were born. I bought the pattern and some yarn in pretty shades of blue (the color of creative expression and communication), and over the next several nights, I made myself one of the cowls as I relaxed on the sofa. Now, when I settle down in my writing space, one of the first things I do is to arrange my blue circle around my shoulders. It is like a form of muscle memory which helps to instantly put me into the necessary mindset for writing or editing. (And as a bonus, it also does a great job of keeping my shoulders warm.) After I showed my creativity circle to this group of friends, they expressed interest in having their own. Here is a photo of one I crafted for a fellow author in the lovely shades of purple she picked out. To me, my creativity circle is tangible proof of the way the various aspects of my life now intersect. My writing, my hobbies, my personal routine – even my well-known tendency to always feel cold – are all wrapped together by a bit of blue yarn. Which makes sense, I suppose. Writing is more than a job to me – it is something I have been passionate about for a long time. It isn’t really surprising then that it overlaps with the other facets of my life. Do you have something in your life about which you are equally passionate? I hope so. If not, perhaps it is time for you to find that one thing which has the ability to fill all the corners of your life. Once you do, perhaps you will find your own creativity circle to bind it all together.
1 Comment
3/29/2019 07:02:31 pm
I think I am beginning to like all these traditional weddings. They are not the usual ceremonies we see since we were kids. All our lives we lived inside a box and we were manipulated into thinking that our style is the only way of life. If we see anything different, we refuse to acknowledge the fact that it's even more normal than how we do things. The more we expose ourselves to how people live halfway across the globe, the more we will see that life is really beautiful if we will only accept and appreciate cultural diversity. It's easier to relate to people who had been raised differently when we are used to appreciating differences.
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AuthorI write historical fiction, and I invite you to share the journey to published author with me. Archives
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