I started re-reading The Artist’s Way last night. If you’ve never read this book, I highly recommend it. It’s good for all kinds of creative efforts besides writing. Julia Cameron is just like vitamins. Periodic doses required for creative good health.
I’ve been so, so, so tired lately. Despite trying to sleep enough, get exercise, eat right, etc., the feeling persisted. Knowing I needed to write made me feel even more exhausted. So I turned to The Artist’s Way, read a chapter, did an exercise, wrote 10 pages and felt myself perking up like a flower that got a cool spray of water on a hot day.
This program is full of reminders about what’s important in the care and feeding of the creative being. Things that tend to get shoved down at the bottom of the To Do list, like FUN. Like rewards. When your play becomes your work, it becomes even more important to keep the fun alive. Let’s face it, many aspects of the job are not so fun. Paperwork, for starters. (Yes, I’ve let mine pile up again.) Edits. Trying to come up with another promo idea. So play and fun becomes serious business when it’s time to shift gears and write the next book, knowing it too will lead to paperwork, edits and promo. The unconscious brain is not stupid and it knows that stuff is coming. The writing must be lured along with promises of fun.
After my injection of creative vitamins, not only is the book exploding in my head, but I even thought of a cool promo tie-in that actually sounds fun to me. Yes, really.
I think I’ll have to pull my copy out when I’m done with this book. I hear you on being tired.
Jordon, it’s easy to write write write and forget to refill the well of stuff that fuels the writing. Hope you enjoy revisiting TAW!
Never read The Artist’s Way, but it sounds great. I just finished a first draft last week and always get down for a week or two until the mojo for another story hits but remembering to refill the well is tough for me. This seems like just what I need.
I’m tired, too. There’s just not enough coffee in the world some days…
Carolynn, sometimes even espresso is not enough. But it’s always a good start. *g* The Artist’s Way really is phenomenal. Very practical stuff for keeping your productivity stable and sustainable. Plus hanging onto your sanity.
I don’t have a copy of that book anymore…it’s one of the ones that got sold when I was moving. But it is a wonderful book.
I still have her book “The Right to Write.” It’s time to reread that one.
NJ, I love that one, too. Full of good stuff!