Writing Life

Creative Juices Part 2

Creative juices, visionary thoughts, imagination, artistic inspiration, creative flow and other words and phrases all refer to creativity and flow of ideas. These are necessary for artists, authors, composers and others in artistic fields.

When I work as a pharmacist, I don’t need to get inspired to fill a prescription. I just do it while looking for drug interactions, allergies, and insurance issues.

But writing uses another part of my brain. I treat my writing as a career. I get up like any other morning, have my coffee, enter my office, and get to work.

If I hit a wall, I sometimes go for a walk or golf cart ride on the island near me. Sometimes, I go to the library or a local coffee shop for a change of scenery and a brain reset.

If you’re a creative, what do you do when you hit a wall?

These are some pictures of my area. Spending time outside helps me recharge and sometimes ideas come to me. Then I can return to my office and get back to work.

Have a great day!

Writing Life

Creative Juices

The Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime hosted a conference this past weekend, and it was amazing. There was a panel led by Rhys Bowen with Edith Maxwell, Catriona McPherson, and Lois Winston.

The topic focused on staying creative.

If you’ve read many of my posts, you know I enjoy setting goals. After attending this panel, I’m going to start setting concrete deadlines to accompany my goals.

For instance, if I’m writing a story that does not have a contract yet, I need to remain focused as I write and set deadlines for myself. Also, if I have a contracted story, I should set personal deadlines before the story is due. So, by the time I turn it in to the publisher, it’ll shine.

I was also challenged to set goals for other aspects of my writing life. Marketing, working on my website, newsletters, blog posts, and social media should not be afterthoughts. I need to create with purpose and be consistent.

I would love for you to share your strategies on meeting deadlines and setting goals.

Next time, we’ll dive deeper into keeping our creative juices flowing.