Zoe: Hello. My name is Zoe. I’m a creativity junky. If you’re like me, your compulsive desire to create threatens your sleep, family and spiritual living, housework, and other responsibilities.
Know that once a creativity junky, always a creativity
junky. But try theses 6 tips to help you know when to free your imagination to
fly and when to rein it in.
1.
Treat your writing like an outside-the-home job. I’m a
full-time writer. On weekdays, I rise at 5 AM and start my day in Bible study
and intercessory prayer, which prepares me for a good day. Around 9 AM, after breakfast
and cleanup, I climb the steps to my office. I take care of non-creative tasks first,
and then until 6 PM, I unleash my creativity to work on stories, blogs, and
ministries. Ahhh.
2.
Carry with you something to write on at all times. Creative
ideas pop into my head while I pray, eat, work around the house, and even while
I dream. I want to pursue an idea NOW. I can often control that urge by writing
the idea down on my notebook or iPad. In effect, it’s scheduled, and I can
relax.
3.
Avoid activities at bedtime that tempt your creativity. I’m
learning it’s dangerous to work on a scene or blog before going to sleep. When
the lights go out, I’ll rework the content in my mind for hours. So, to stop
ideas from streaming, I read a little of a book that’s far from a page-turner.
Or I play a boring solitaire game on my iPad.
4.
Plan moments throughout your day to re-ground you in non-creative living. For
me, God is my guide, my counselor, and my Lord. Sometimes, I get wrapped up in
my creative work and forget that. So I schedule another time with the Lord, using
a devotional after lunch. Also, I plan tasks that include exercise for my
breaks from writing.
5. Train
yourself to keep certain days for family time and doing things other than
creative work. This tip is the most difficult for me. It’s hard to
shut down the creative frenzy for long periods. However, I’m working on the
habit of taking off weekends. Also, I attend a Bible study Wednesday mornings. I
schedule appointments, writing catch-up, or free time for Wednesday afternoons.
6. Do creative
activities with others. My husband and I have worked together on
activities, such as designing our house, creating a garden pond, and planning
creative activities for Sunday school children. My creative nature loves and
feeds on such times with my husband. And, I enjoy playing make-believe with my
grandchildren.
Making habits of these tips will help round out your
life.
What has worked for you to prevent your creative work from taking over your life?
~~~
A full-time writer,
Zoe M. McCarthy spins contemporary Christian romances and short stories with
splashes of humor. A self-publisher of two books of contemporary Christian
short stories, Zoe has also published short stories with Christian Fiction
Online Magazine. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency and currently
has a novel under contract, Calculated
Risk. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia.
Zoe’s blog, Creative in Everything, (http://zoemmccarthyblog.wordpress.com) gives quotes, tips, and examples of how
people can creatively engage others in their home, workplace, and volunteer
activities. You can connect with Zoe on her Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/ZoeMMcCarthyAuthor and through Twitter https//twitter.com/zoemmccarthy
