Inspiration Hibernation

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!

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.

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.

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?

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Blood, betrayal and brotherhood.

They come to honour a Warrior-Lord’s dream,

An ancient saga weaving their destiny,

But a treacherous rival threatens their fate.

The Wolf Sons are coming.

WULFSUNA

Hibernation Inspiration #5

I've been listening to my favourite composer, Chopin. The variety of pieces have inspired various scenes in my mind. There are some that evoke the incidental music played over silent films of the Twenties: the heroine dashing around in blond curls and a scarf, fleeing a moustached foe in an overly-large tuxedo.

Then there are pieces that suggest a peaceful walk along the Seine on a balmy, Paris summer's evening. Bateaux mooches pass by; lovers embrace on the steps; the happy chatter of people at bistros lining the street rise into the warm night air.

And some compositions have you reminiscing of unforgettable English summers, with long pink and golden sunsets, swallows or bats chasing insects in the fading light. A warm ale, sipped outside a familiar country pub and faithful dogs lingering at their owners' feet, waiting for a hot, vinegar-soaked chip to fall within their reach on the cool grass.

What music whisks you away to pleasant memories?

Write about a happy memory; a place; a person.

Hibernation Inspiration #4

Come into the garden and explore!

I've been watching various things come into bud outside, in our garden and other people's across the way. There are plenty of daffodils and dandelions!

Now and then I venture into the back garden to feel the sunshine and see what is sprouting. I love the earthy smell of the soil and the sweetness of grass. These photographs are from my travels, alas my own garden is not so amazing, but I thought they were immensely cheery!

Perhaps it's time to write about the fairies and other mythical creatures who may be living beneath or inside the plants and flowers of our gardens or wild spaces? Let's take a trip to fantasyland this week, shall we?

'Soft green buds sprout on small trees and shrubs,

Bringing plants back to life.

Through the ground peep shoots, so slender,

Straining bravely against the wind.

You are embraced by the quiet solace of a warm, spring day.'

Hibernation Inspiration #3

Ideas on themes of 'nature' and 'springtime'.

Hello again! What have you been creating? Any good ideas to share? I'm having fun compiling some simple poems about nature and things I can see from the windows of our home.

I was thinking today of perhaps a story, compiled of a series of poems, that could all link together? If you give it a go, let me know how you get on.

'Sun peeps through leaves on the trees.

The church bell peels through the warm afternoon air.

Spring bulbs bob their dainty heads upon the gentle breeze.

A child's hair flies wild as they bounce over green grass,

Cries of joy and excited screams fill the park,

As bikes and skateboards go flying past.'

Hibernation Inspiration #2

More observations on the themes of 'hibernation' and 'emergence' - some Spring things to inspire ideas!

Another week and another morsel of inspiration from my personal photo collection and an observational poem. I'm sure many of you will be able to do better justice to poetry - so have a go!

Try some Haiku or flash fiction. Begin a new story and see where it leads you. Above all - have fun with words.

'What are the words,

Exchanged between birds?

What do they say to one another?

Do pigeons coo of love?

Do robins tweet of the sun above?

Do blackbirds chirp when tugging worms are a bother?

Who is the crow cawing to?

Where to the swallows fly from and to?

Do baby birds fight with their brothers?'

Hibernation Inspiration #1

For a few posts, I shall be sharing observations on themes of 'hibernation' and 'emergence' as we enter Spring.

In this time of mass hibernation, it can be difficult to distance ourselves from the negativity and find inspiration. For those of us who crave constant creativity, who want to write as well as read others' writings, ideas may be hard to come by.

Having just completed 14 days in self-isolation with my family, due to me being ill, I've encountered the ideas desert; the epitome of the empty wild west town with tumbleweed rolling across my mind.

And so to combat this, and provide some assistance to anyone else out there who would like a little dollop of inspiration, I will be posting some photos and snippets of my own observations that I've attempted to sculpt into poetry. (Please be kind, as I have not written poetry since I was an adolescent!)

'Like the field mouse, hedgehog or mole,

Who winter inside their cosy hole,

We emerge, like the sun on a day anew,

To see the mist settle on green grass, as dew.

Birds eat works and make new nests,

And go hunting for tasty morsels they love best.'

Try some poetry or flash fiction, or begin a short story imagining the daily routine of a field mouse or hedgehog; imagine a blackbird or magpie looking for food and nesting materials.

Find the simplest joy from a tiny morsel of food or basking in the midday sunshine, safe from predators.