The Next Chapter – Secret #2 Honouring Your Inspirations

I’m taking part in an online book blogging club called The Next Chapter.  This post is part of our discussion about The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.  Feel free to jump in to the conversation here or with some of the other posts about Secret #2.

My Little Crazy Thoughts

This week I have actually been quite busy engaging my creativity.  With the wishcasting prompt I knew immediately that I need a creative space.  Somewhere I can do more than just writing.  I need a place where I can have access to all of my colourful bits and bobs that I like to play with.  I felt so powerfully drawn to the project that I’ve already started working on it. 

The First Challenge

The first challenge of the book was to find 15 minutes every day to cloister yourself away and get in touch with your creativity.  This gives me a small problem as I don’t think that this is possible for me right now.  It’s ideal, but not right for me at this time.  I’m hoping that creating a crafting space for myself will help let me take advantage of the bits of time that I do get in the future.  If everything is organized and ready, I’ll be able to more easily jump in and out of some creative explorations. 

I also found myself wanting to defend the city.  It seemed as though the author was saying that nature is only the territory of creativity and I would disagree.  I think that the human mind and spirit has the capacity to find inspiration amid a chorus of chattering voices, horns, and machines in the city, as well as it can amid the sounds of birds, trees, and insects in the wild.

The Second Challenge

The second challenge was a Creative Style Inventory and I thought I’d briefly report my answers . . .

• When did your creative reawakening occur?  Probably in 2007 when I decided to commit to writing a novel in a month.  I’ve always thought “I’m a writer” but this was the first time as an adult that I’d attempted to write. 
• What talents do you have naturally?  This one was really hard since I don’t usually think of my own talents, or of myself as talented.  But, I do know that I’m naturally organized and very determined.  I love reading and teaching and explaining things to people too.
• Which elements draw you toward them?  Earth (mountains & trees) and Fire
• Where and when do you create?  I create writing on my computer at home or work.  Or in a notebook in almost any place that will give me a few minutes to focus on my story.  Usually in the afternoon when I’ve finished all my obligations for the day (if I manage to get them all done).
• Where and when do I wish to create?  At my neat and clean desk in a neat and clean office in the morning.
• What activates your creative energy?
• structure
• timelines
• projects
• passionate people
• rules
• processes
• puzzles
• good stories
• What drains it?
• What drains it?
• too much openness – I feel lost
• getting caught up in what others might think/say
• too much distraction
• too much outside input
• Do I use creative rituals?  I’ve started to this year . . . lighting a candle when writing . . . curling up with a good movie to sift through magazines for words and images that inspire
• Does nature influence my creativity?  The inspiration for my 2007 NaNoWriMo challenge started from staring at the mountains every morning.  One of my other old story ideas (yet to be developed) comes from the crows! 
• What has been your greatest creative hurdle so far?  Justifying and finding the time for creative pursuits.
• What time of day are you most receptive to inspiration?  Definitely the morning!

The inventory really had me pondering my girls in the basement/my inner muse*. Not only what they/she might look like but also about what they need to be inspired.  They need a little space to do business and play.  They need to be fed good stories.  They like to get up in the morning and spend time planning out projects, making lists, and putting things in order.  And they need challenge to keep their creative juices fired up.  In fact, they sometimes prefer to do things the hard way.  I’m looking forward to getting to know them/her better.

*’girls in the basement’ refers to the same basic thing as an inner muse but is an expression commonly used among the community of writers (aka Wiffers) that I enjoy being a part of.  I like the term because it allows many different facets of your creativity along with some interesting conversations to take place inside of yourself.  Though I am also drawn to the idea of defining a set of characteristics that make up my inner muse.