Doing Something: An Invitation To Live Creatively

No one knows how hard it can be to just sit down and write more than I do. Sure there are plentiful ideas running wild in my head but to quiet them all down and try to make sense of it becomes the most daunting part of my life. My thoughts are wild and reckless and refuse to be tamed. I, in turn, lack the strength to pull on the reigns most days.

Sound familiar? I know, man, I know...there, there...it will be okay because I'm right here with you in the trenches. In fact, I'm thinking that if I step up and lead you out of whatever writing funk you've found yourself in, I may just unlock my own inner awesomeness, too.

So let's do this: go to your local library or bookstore and grab a copy of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It's a sort of workshop in a book that helps you unleash that creative beast you have inside, and starting next Wednesday I will be guiding you through all of the weekly exercises. Don't be alarmed by the religious reference in the subtitle of the book, though. I promise that we'll only be acknowledging whatever entity you believe armed you with the ability to tell a good story. This is really about getting you to stop getting in your own way and creating a safe space where you can export the stuff in your head onto paper.

If you feel you need more than I can offer, you can get the same workshop from Cameron via her website. There is a charge to experience the online class but if you have the money it's definitely worth it.

For right now just get your hands on the book and familiarize yourself with the content, format, etc, because come next week we're diving in!

Are you ready? I am!

xoxo,
Raquel Ivelisse

Returning To The Craft

When things get really busy for me I tend to put the things that bring me joy at the bottom of my TO DO list. I had to worry about back-to-school stuff and money issues and fitness struggles, and used all of that as an excuse to put off finishing my writing projects.

Did this happen to you, too? I know, I know, it's painful to admit. But listen, we're here now and we're going to do something about it, okay?

I recently got together with some like-minded writers to get serious about our writing careers- no more excuses or procrastination! We're meeting on a regular basis to check each other's progress, critique the work product we submit and encourage one another to overcome all the self-imposed obstacles standing in the way of our greatness.

We began our first meeting by listing FIVE immediate tasks/goals to work on. My goals included reading more, having a set time to write my novel every night and updating this blog every Wednesday. These are doable baby steps that will, in six months' time, prove beneficial towards my future as a published author.

How about you? What are some things you can do RIGHT NOW to help dust off your creativity? Feel free to share your list in the comments!

xoxo,
Raquel Ivelisse