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| A blank piece of paper You would imagine having twelve weeks at home would have been a writers' dream. No external distractions; no time wasted on journeys here, there and everywhere; no meeting friends in coffee shops or wasting time mooching around department stores. I'd been waking much earlier, often before my alarm at 6.15am, and not retiring to bed before 11pm most evenings. But... and this is the BIG 'but', I hadn't spent any extra time writing. My inspiration had gone into hibernation along with me! |
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| Apple blossom |
I have spoken with other creatives who haven’t sat at a laptop or picked up a pen or paintbrush either. Unable to go out and about, to see people or places, had sapped our spark. To rectify this I began by posting my ‘Hibernation Inspiration’ blog posts. These were a small effort to aid fellow creatives and a channel for me to kick-start some writing by creating the mini poems and prose for the posts. Here is my first 'Hibernation Inspiration post.
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| My little tray of filter coffee and matching mug |
The ability to ‘find’ ideas comes from stimulation or solace,
neither of which are always attainable when you are indoors for months with all
your family! The muse wanders, so you have to find new methods. I substituted
visits to coffee shops, woodland walks and running my local writing group with
coffee moments at home, writing letters and spending more time in our garden
for work or leisure. To maintain my writing group, I organised video meetings
for my members and emailed them topics. I have found beauty and inspiration
closer to home. To spur my writing, I switched to smaller projects needing less
focus time and a shorter attention span. I extended deadlines on larger
projects and succumbed to a slower pace of life.
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| Scales of work/life balance |
Life is all about balance and when something is tossed at you that tips the scales, you make adjustments until you regain that balance. Sometimes it takes a while, but when you find the magical mix, mind and body relax. Relaxation of mind and body facilitates the return of the muse and eases creative production. If you are stuck in a creative rut, keep trying. Your muse it out there. You may simply need a little longer to find it. And take heart… during this time of global hibernation many people around the world have chosen the creative arts to express themselves, to entertain them and to inspire them to try new careers.
- Have you struggled to write through lockdown?
- What have you done to maintain inspiration?
