It's IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without
fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire
can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure
writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh, our brilliant ninja leader. Co-Hosts this month:Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery!
Last week, I had a hankering to write a blog post. Not an
IWSG post, just a post…the way I used to so regularly. But that didn’t happen
before IWSG time rolled round again, so it appears I’ve got to twine the two. Lacking
sage words with which to comment on the question of the month, I cast about
seeking a topic, but nothing comes. How about stream of conscious…which is often
a great way to prime the pumps?
When I’ve been stuck for words in the past, I’d go for a
walk, take a picture and come back and write about the experience, or even the
picture itself, but it has been a challenging year to date. So much so, when I pulled
out my camera the other day I discovered I hadn’t picked the thing up since
February. I haven’t been walking much either, and it occurs to me that my brain is starting to atrophy.
The muscles are weakening. Brain exercise. That’s what I need—new experiences to
keep the creative juices flowing.
In The Artist’s Way,
Julia Cameron suggests taking artist’s dates— once a week outings on your own
to engage in or explore something that has interest to you. In the past, I’ve
taken walks by the beach, tramped through museums, hiked nature trails, visited
historic sites, and checked off things my bucket list. I’ve even driven down
certain streets, just because I never had. Artist’s dates require focused time
spent in ways that inspire creativity. Here's a link to 101 artist date ideas. Historically, my artist dates almost
always triggered inspiration. I’m realizing right now that camera or no camera,
it’s time to get myself out on a few.
For your viewing pleasure: the last picture on my roll...
How to you inspire yourself during writing dry spells?
