Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Fill Your Creative Well by Tracey Lyons

This morning, Tracey Lyons gives one author's experience in keeping those creative juices flowing. -- Sandy

Tracey: You may have often hear the phrase, “Go to your creative well.” Some days my creative well is overflowing and some days it’s completely dry.  Creativity comes from many places. The key to keeping that well full is knowing how to find ideas and thoughts. From some writers it could be something as simple as working on morning pages. This is a process where you keep a notebook and pen by your bed and when you wake up, you write down the first thoughts that come to mind. For others it can be meditation in the form of finding a quiet place to just breath and let those thoughts flow.  Or simply taking a walk and seeing nature or walking through your neighborhood can open your mind to new ideas.

Several years ago I decided to take up water color painting. I did it as an experiment because I figured if I could write then chances are I could paint. It ended up that after a few classes I realized that, yes, I could indeed paint. My art turned out to be on the abstract level. I’m probably not ever going to be able to capture the details of humans or animals, but that’s okay. Because watercolors opened my mind to a new kind of creativity. I found it soothing.  Someone once told me that the reason I like doing watercolors is because the paint flows on the page. Lightbulb moment, right? That’s sort of what happens when we sit down to write. Words and ideas flow onto to the page. Our thoughts, like the paint, are fluid.

I’m also big on projects. If I’m working on a writing project chances are I’m also working on a house project.  The thing is; I plan my house projects the same way I plan out my stories or scenes. I ruminate. I sit and picture in my mind how the room will look when it’s finished. I cull through magazines cutting out pictures of pages that inspire my project. Well, writing a scene isn’t any different for me except I have to go to my creative well to see what’s there for ideas.

Every single one of us has the ability to keep our creative well full. Some of us might do those morning pages, or start our day with a walk or maybe something as simple as sitting down with that first cup of morning coffee or tea. Creativity is a gift we were given. Yes, some days are easier than others when it comes to finding it, but trust me when I tell you at those time when you are at a loss for words if you quiet your mind and listen those thoughts and ideas will return to fill your well to overflowing. 

Share how you go about filling your creative well! 

 

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An Amazon Top Ten bestselling historical romance author of the Women of Surprise series, Tracey sold her first book on 9/9/99! Her books have been translated into several languages and are available in print, digital and audio formats. Tracey lives with her husband in New York’s Hudson Valley region. She has appeared on the award winning Cox Cable Television show, Page One and on the stage of Lady Jane’s reading salon in New York City. She holds membership in Romance Writers of America, American Fiction Christian Writers and Novelists Inc. A true upstate New Yorker, Tracey believes you should write what you know. Her historical romances are all set in the New York State area. Tracey considers herself a small town gal who writes small town romances.

You can connect with Tracey by visiting her website www.traceylyons.com or on social media
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