So, spring has sprung. Or, maybe spring sprang.
Well, whichever it is, I know that first iteration up there is what fits best with that saucy Sinatra song lyric, “You make me feel so young…” I think a sprung spring was the right choice.
Anyway, now that spring is upon us, it’s time to think again about who we are creatively. It’s time to thaw out and meditate on rebirth. Renewal. Anything with “re.” Come to think of it, creative has “re” in it. So, with that in mind, how do you plan to use this season to your best advantage? How do you plan to warm up the creative engine and get going on your pet projects?
If you’re stuck, here are some ideas:
- Pull an old manuscript OUT of the drawer and REvisit it. Dust it off, give it another look, and see what you can do to breathe new life into it. Add some fresh flowers, some fresh faces, or a fresh new storyline. Give it to a friend and see if they can revive it. Get a new perspective.
- Put a current stale manuscript IN the drawer and REv up a new one. Think of a new character and put them in a new situation. Put a bit of yourself on the page and then write your dreams around this new side of your persona. See what happens! If you don’t have time for that March getaway, then write about a character on vacation and live vicariously.
- REinvent yourself. If writing or painting or whatever you do has you down, pick up a used guitar and do what I did: sit in front of YouTube until you can play. It works. I bled a lot, but now I’ve got the ability to make music. Yeah, I still write and write and write. But now I can take a break and play Simon & Garfunkel tunes. Paul Simon was one of the greatest writers I know, and it inspires me. What music inspires you?
- Go sit in nature in REpose. No book. No music. No conversation. Just sit there and listen to the grass grow. Hear a child laugh in the distance and let that make you happy. Take pleasure in things that don’t need to be created. Find joy in things that just are.
- REad. See what someone else created and let it get your juices flowing.
- REpeat this mantra: creativity is a process. What I’m saying is, if you’re trying to shake the sleepy doldrums of winter, don’t expect that it’ll happen overnight. Give yourself time to thaw, stretch, and get into the swing of spring again.
It’s spring. It has sprung. You don’t need to be Sinatra to make beautiful creative music this time of year. You just need a little inspiration. Or a good Paul Simon tune.
How do you get into the creative swing of spring?
Not much to add! Nice tips on creativity and revving up your creative juices. I would only add go out and REsee the world around you for new stories and ideas. Maybe on a bus, maybe on a walk, maybe in a doctor’s office or even in the grocery story. Sometimes things seem interesting and you can make up your own story about why.
Yes! Join a story already in progres…
Some great ideas and perspective. Each of us must experiment to find what works for us, and that can vary based on several factors. Your insight into therapeutic creativity boost from making music rings true for me. Playing any musical instrument requires several parts of our brains to interact and collaborate in ways that don’t happen otherwise. Perhaps opening these neural pathways less traveled sets the stage for more creative thinking.
@Chris: Thanks for the comment. I agree with experimenting. It has to be what comes naturally to us. For me, it was the guitar. It just unlocks things. Can’t really explain it! I’ve found folk music to be a great writing muse.