The Benefits of NOT Writing

Yes, seriously. No, I’m not losing my mind.

I’m just saying that although if you’re reading this blog, writing is your bread and butter (like it is for me), but there’s more to you than just that. I’m also saying that unfortunately, try as we might, writing just doesn’t happen outside of work. That’s been the case for me for the past six months, I think. Or maybe it’s even been more.

No matter how long it’s been since the words were really flowing without having to try, I went through a bit of writer’s guilt. Then not far behind that comes the imposter syndrome, and that can be really hard to claw your way out of.

Instead of penalizing myself for not feeling motivated with my latest concept, I’m trying to refocus on this season, knowing that the inspiration will come back. What I blame for this seemingly endless dry spell are the following (which, aren’t bad things by any means, they just may be to blame for my lack of creative motivation):

My table at the Scituate Farmer’s Market in RI recently!

• Having a boyfriend (don’t get me wrong, I love him SO MUCH – but it’s like now that I’m finally happy in that area of my life, suddenly I’m lacking the need to escape from monotony by writing a story). I call this the “Taylor Swift syndrome” (you know, when she openly started dating Joe Alwyn and suddenly fans worried all the angst would be gone from her songs, leaving us with nothing but sugary-sweet garbage). I don’t want to lose my angst either!
• My freelance gigs (as much as I am so grateful to be able to pay off my car as fast as I have been, there’s something really tricky about saving any creative juices for my own work after writing about pest control and personal care products all day).
• My other interests (in this case, my crocheted art that I make by hand for my vendor shows, as well as my independent guitar studies that have also sadly, fallen quite a bit to the wayside). After I get through all of those things, I feel too tired to sit and craft the story that’s been bumping around in my head for like a year now.

These aren’t meant to be viewed as excuses, but rather a self-awareness tactic to diagnose the issue, and then bring some much-needed balance back to my life. What I would suggest if you find yourself in a similar boat, would be to sit down and make a list of all the things you’re juggling in your life (professional, and otherwise). From there, try and compartmentalize / prioritize the things that you most want to tackle first, and what you feel okay with waiting on for a little while.

And in return, you’ll gain…

• A renewed sense of self

• A fresh start

• Better quality writing

• More motivation (ironically, but it’s true!)

And if you have the opportunity to enjoy a different facet of your interests for a while besides writing, don’t feel badly about it. Instead, soak up the rest of this summer with all the amazing things that make you unique!

Keep in touch with my latest book signings and art shows via my events page!

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Stop Trying to Pour from an Empty Cup: Feed Your Soul

Trust me, I keep learning this lesson the hard way.

It’s so tempting to keep jumping around from task to task.

You can very likely get a lot of different things done this way, but it doesn’t mean it’ll be all that fulfilling. You’ll just burn yourself out and then you’ll be miserable. I go through this cycle all the time, but I’m finally ready to try and break it.

So I said last time too. And in previous blog posts, you might’ve noticed me talk about self-care, taking breaks, etcetera. But you know what I realized recently?

There’s actually a third option besides just being a workaholic and being a couch potato.

Yes, seriously – and it’s called feeding your soul.

It’s not a question of working or taking a break – it’s actually more about doing things that make your heart happy. For me, as a content writer, my work is extremely draining on the creative front, so I recognize that I need to take time for my art as well.

Sure, it might not pay as lucratively as my articles about pest control or personal care items, but there’s something incredibly important about writing things that let your light shine. I have a story that’s been begging to get out for a while. And most importantly, big plans for it once I do.

All that being said, if you’re curious about my other stories that have already been published, you can grab copies of those HERE. They’re a mix of coming-of-age, science fiction, and YA/NA romance.

So now the question is, how do I actually get this done?

Right, of course – because it’s rarely that simple. Without any clear plan, it just won’t. That’s why I’m trying to institute Feed My Soul Fridays. Basically, I won’t do any creative work for clients on Fridays (unless there’s a legitimate urgent need). Otherwise, Fridays are my day to plan, daydream, and work on my story. That’s something that will help balance out my work-life. I also want to keep working on music and studying guitar so I can teach students soon – because that will also feed my soul.

One of my soul-feeding hobbies: amigurumi crochet! Check out my art page for more about these funky characters.

Some easy tips I would suggest to help you start a similar habit would be the following:

• Spend a day observing your habits – what do you naturally gravitate towards? Even if you can’t drop everything to do that thing in the moment, make a mental note of what you want to do later.
• Think about your schedule – are there some parts of your typical day or week that are busier, or more open? Try to fit in a bit of these soul-nourishing habits when you find breaks in your schedule.
• Commit yourself to honoring your body and mind consistently. Maybe it means taking time to read for a while before going to bed no matter how late it is. Following through on the promise you made to yourself is a crucial part of self-care. So don’t disappoint yourself!

If you do all these things, I am convinced your work-life balance will get better.

I wish I could say that I’ve mastered this skill, but full disclosure: I definitely haven’t yet. My hope is that by blogging about it and sharing it with you, maybe these habits will get easier to instill in my own life. So feel free to be an accountability partner for yourself, or anyone else around you that’s clearly pushing themselves too hard. I’m the worst about this, but I’m feeling the effects of not doing that, and it’s definitely not going to pay off in the longterm.

So here’s to a productive, yet fun, soul-nourishing summer. Sink your toes into the sand and live it up, because you’ll never be this young again 😉