Creative Centering

Ironic, isn't it, that I feel inspired to write, the topic for this post is creative centering, I've never been challenged by writer's block, yet I've been staring at my screen, fingers hovering motionless over my keyboard, mind blank for the past five minutes. Five minutes without a single idea seems like an eternity for someone whose mind is seldom quiet and who is rarely at a loss for words. I cannot find my creative center, even though I thought I was calm and focused while sipping a hot cup of tea.

I wrote the above paragraph last night, Monday, 5/23/11. It is now Tuesday morning, 5/24/11. It appears that the list below, "10 Ways to Prevent Writer's Block," does indeed highlight great advice, namely the first item in the list, sleep! Thank you to another one of my new aspiring writer connections for directing me to the website, www.creativecreativity.com, which is where I found this list. What a timely discovery!

While I love sharing my Dear Diary Moments and writing on a personal level, my ultimate goal is to write a book that is a combination of fiction and non-fiction. I have a zillion ideas for characters and story lines, all inspired by the characters and experiences I've encountered in my own life. But there is much more to writing a book and getting it published than regurgitating personal experiences. With that said, I am sure that beginning this blog post won't be the first time I experience writer's block and the frustration as a result. Writer's block is not something I had considered as an obstacle until now, but as I continue to explore the creative process of writing, it seems to be a reality even the best authors face. I feel an ebb and flow of inspiration and of being overwhelmed as I continue to uncover things I previously never considered as an aspiring writer. I am motivated by challenges, but also comforted by the support I continue to find. For this reason, #9 in the list below is my favorite. No matter the number of hours of sleep we get, how many cups of herbal tea we drink, how long we spend in our favorite yoga poses simply breathing, how many cozy nights we spend curled up while getting lost in a great book, doubters will never allow us to detoxify our lives. Yesterday was a horrible day at work. The first e-mail in my inbox was from a provider who was experiencing difficulties accessing our recorded training sessions online and the first sentence in his e-mail was, "You are not my favorite people today." Reflecting on that, it's no wonder that I was struggling to find my creative center last night. My body felt calm and relaxed, but my mind was not. A good night's sleep was definitely beneficial, but I also realize now that I need to find creative ways to center both my body and mind and surround myself with positive influencers and people even in negative environments. I'm starting with the list below.

10 Ways To Prevent Writer's Block

(www.creativecreativity.com)

Everyone worries about how to get rid of writer's block once they have it, but what about preventing it before it comes. This list will help you to stop it before it starts!

1. Sleep: There's actually science to support this one. Eight hours of sleep helps you reboot your brain, lets you think more clearly and be more creative. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to make connections and even the easy stuff becomes difficult.

2. Eat: Eat healthy foods. Eat a variety of foods. Watch how much alcohol and caffeine you drink. This will keep you well. It's hard to be creative if you get every cold and flu that comes your way.

3. Exercise: Now, I'm not saying that you need to join a gym or get to Joe Piscopo size to prevent writer's block. I am saying that you need to move every day and get your heart pumping. Take a walk, play some basketball or toss a tennis ball for your dog.

4. Read: If you want to write, you should read constantly. There are few pleasures as great for a writer as finding a great book to read. After you have read something great, reread it and absorb its secrets. Then use them.

5. Keep Learning: Take a class, go to a museum, read a trade magazine for an industry you know nothing about or watch a documentary. Just keep learning, the world is huge and the minute it starts to feel tiny, there won't seem like there's much to write about.

6. Write Every Day: Even if it's only 15 minutes a day, write every day. Develop a pattern, a rhythm, that can't be broken. If you write every day, it will become as effortless and necessary as breathing. Better to write for a short period every day than a longer period on one day.

7. Listen to People Talk: Don't just lecture people or tell people stories, listen to what they have to say. These are your characters, your inspiration and the unknowing victims you will steal from. If you really listen to people, they tell you way more than they think. Ask people questions and listen to the answers. Retelling someone's story in your own voice is a lot easier than making something up from scratch.

8. Lower your Standards: As Tony from Bagelprov quoted poet William Stafford in a recent comment as saying, "I believe that the so-called 'writing block' is a product of some kind of disproportion between your standards and your performance ... One should lower his standards until there is no felt threshold to go over in writing. It's easy to write. You just shouldn't have standards that inhibit you from writing."

9. Get Rid of the Doubters in your Life: You know those people you have known forever that don't think you're really a writer and that you're wasting your time? Either learn to ignore them or get rid of them. Dump them. It doesn't matter how long you've know them. You already have enough doubt in your head without having to put up with some jackass adding more doubt outside your head.

10. WRITE!

So tell me, what inspires your creative spirit? How do you stay focused and motivated, especially in the face of challenge? What tools do you have in your handy toolkit to deal with or rid your life of doubters? What is you favorite means to center yourself?