Just Be There Blog

Creativity Agenda

Three days ago 🌖 HuntersMoon visited and commented on my last entry. Yesterday I responded and my response got me to thinking about the writer's block thing I've been struggling with over the years.

I said something like my lack of self confidence is what is possibly causing the lack of creative energy which equates to writer's block. Lack of self confidence, isn't quite the point, however. Specifically, I have a lot of confidence in my writing ability, but it's the sharing of my creativity is where I falter. You see, I write to feel good and when I feel good I want others to feel good too. So I write to share feeling good. When my last love affair failed I lost trust in sharing myself. Innately, when "my companionship" was rejected then I felt all of me was rejected. I felt as if I was a throwaway person; someone not good enough to be around other people. Thus, if I wasn't good enough to be around those I loved, then my talents for writing wasn't good enough either. So I did everyone a favor and stopped associating with everyone, including those here at WDC.

I have rarely ever received a review or comment on my writings here at WDC that was negative. In fact, here is where I've received the most rewarding encouragement regarding my creative thoughts. (Which is why I'm still a member of this wonderful writing community.) I have received validation, encouragement, and friendship over these long years to help me realize that I wasn't the failure that caused my life partner to leave; but point in fact, her choice to leave was her failing.

My recent experiences coming back into a family circle and receiving unconditional acceptance I think has finally broken the ice around my muse. I've been thinking of warming up exercises to get my muse thawed out and excited again. Things are a bit vague at this moment, after all my muse has been shy for nearly fourteen years and frozen to inaction for eight years.

I know I need to start with small steps.

Step One: Talk about it

Step two: Feel confident enough about stepping out of the safety of the shadows to at least peak around the corner and see what is outside of myself.

Step three: write something creative--BIC and write a scene, a poem, a paragraph, a story--big or small, doesn't matter.

Step four: write something two days in a row, doesn't have to be related to the day before, but it has to come from my imagination.

Step five: BIC--write again and Step six, seven, eight, nine-- Step thirty: keep on writing.

Step 31: If I haven't been taken over by my muse by this time then start looking at my old stories and see if this familiar territory will excite her. (I have this feeling, I won't have to wait thirty days for my muse to wake up.)

Therefore, Step ?: Expand story horizons. I have many to choose from since my muse has played periodically during the glacial years. Here is a partial list:

"Alternate Worlds Explored Archive b/j"  [13+]; "freewrites: prompts, scenes, or teasers"  [13+]; "Failed Magic"  [E]; "Woodland Encounter"  [13+]; "A Phoenix and Her Wizard"  [ASR]; "Dialogue between a Priest and a Magician"  [ASR]; "The Honor of Liondin's Legion "  [E]; "Institute"  [13+]; "The Mighty Steed "  [E]; "The Thornton Mascot"  [E]; "Communion"  [E]; and "Sweet Breaths"  [ASR].

Added:
Step 3 complete

Rescue and other bouts of imagination  (E) stellar ships react to a planetary emergency/A child and adult discuss sound in space/... #2123468 by DyrHearte writes

 

 

9% complete