Christ’s Birth In A Stable
This fall I tackled something new in my writing career. Two books in six months. One at 100K words the other at 50K words.
To be honest, the second book got slapped together enough for my editor to see where I was going. Bless her heart all the way to the moon and back.
And it was with characters I knew, in a setting I’d built for the royal wedding books but stories take time.
The characters have to germinate, come to life. I have to wrestle with who they really are as the main storytellers.
So today as I took care of things around the house, I realized I could “breath and think.”
Monday as I finished the book enough to turn it in, I could barely think. Had NO emotion. I was tired.
Two days later, I’m ready to dream up a new story idea.
Why? Because I had a few moments to relax, do something else, dream.
Driving down the road, I boosted the volume on the iTunes track playing and sang at the top of my lungs.
I thought of going shopping. Then maybe how to decorate the house a bit more. Oh, and I should clean said house since I’ve been backside-in-chair before Thanksgiving.
These things help our creativity.
When we do things that emotionally energize us or bring us back to reality, to the every day world.
I can READ!!
I started a book on the plane home and haven’t been able to get back to it sense.
Creativity isn’t something we pull out of thin air. It’s not a flash idea we never revisit.
Creativity is something we cultivate.
We pray. We worship the Creator. We share life with other.
Hubs and I don’t have children but we collect OPKs—Other People’s Kids. 😉 Two of them visited for my birthday this past weekend.
We went to the spa. Chilled. Ordered Longhorns take out.
Care and feeing of creativity right there…
Christmas the house will be full of guests. I’m excited. Lots of coming and going. It’ll be the first time in a long time we’ve had a house full.
Filling my emotional bank with friends and family is part of caring and feeding of my creativity.
Sitting out on the back deck. Doodling in a large sketch book with colored pencils. I cannot draw worth spit but just putting colorful lines and curly-cues on paper inspires me.
Taking pictures. I’ll be sure to snap a few photos this Christmas. Though there’s no way my brother will pose for a pic! But that’s caring and feeding my creativity.
As writers, we get emotionally drained. We need life to full our tank, refuel our emotions.
Mostly stilling our hearts before the Lord. This time can be so busy, even stressful, but our Peace is the baby who came to redeem us from stress, fear, depression and loneliness.
I’ve been busy. I need to get at His feet. Just be. Let Him fill me. Speak to me.
What about you? How’s your emotional tank? Don’t forget to be with the One who loves you and will fill you!