Is Your Perception Of Creativity Hurting Your Writing?

I was talking to a friend of mine—who happens to be a psychotherapist and has experience working with creative professionals—about creativity. The two of us go for weekly walks amidst nature where we talk about life, challenges, and wins. Both the friendship and our weekly self-care ritual is cathartic.

I confessed to her that on some days, I find the distance between my writing and myself increasing. It’s not because of writer’s block or some newly developed disinterest in writing. Between managing a job, handling a coaching business, juggling responsibilities at home, and nursing myself back to health…I often don’t find myself sitting down with my laptop or scribbling in a journal with a pen.

For most of my adult life, I have woken up at 4:45 am and written for a couple of hours before beginning the work day. Not writing with the same devotion leaves me feeling less than whole on some days.

My friend heard me patiently. As we sat down on a bench in the park, she took a deep breath, “Sweta, what’s going on?”

“I have two contracts for two books and I haven’t able to work on them.” I confessed.

“What do you envision as writing?” She asked pointblank.

“Having written and traditionally published 12 books inside of 9 years, I am having trouble grappling with this phase where even putting four sentences together takes up so much out of me.”

“Have you tried writing for yourself?” she asked.

I looked confused.

She continued, “Writing for the sake of writing, not for someone else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you write about what you are feeling? Like not being able to write?” She spoke affectionately as if I were a five-year-old heartbroken over a broken toy, “Write for yourself. Not to meet a deadline. Not because an editor needs a piece. Not because you need to write 5,000 words a day to finish you book. Write without editing. Write about not being able to make time to write. Write without any premeditated thoughts about what good writing looks like.”

A light bulb went on inside my head, and I immediately understood my dilemma. Because of my misplaced understanding of creativity, I had forgotten the joy of writing and as a result started to undermine my own creative abilities. Because I wasn’t able to make big, daily chunks of commitment to what I considered creative writing, I was limiting myself and in turn, my creativity.

Ask yourself what writing means to you. Does writing bring you joy? If you are a writer, you will always be one.

Merriam Webster defines creativity as the ability to create. If you expand your imagination on what qualifies for creative writing, it helps put everything into perspective. A scribble in the journal is creative. A tweet or caption for Instagram or narrative Facebook post that one writes, it’s all part of the creative family. “If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.”

Here is what has happened: My life changed drastically in the last one year. From winning the VOTY award for my novel “Louisiana Catch” (past recipients have been Chelsea Clinton and founders of the #MeToo movement) to suddenly finding myself in the ER, fighting for my life…all of that has had impact on my body, life, priorities, and creative abilities. From working a day job to rebuilding my body and reestablishing the business, it’s been a year of shifting gears, feeling grateful, fighting fears, and rethinking what’s most important.

Writing has always found an important place at every stage of my life. Writing feeds my soul. Writing makes me come alive. Writing is how I process ideas and imagination. Writing is how I heal and make sense of the world. But the compassion I have devoted to my loved ones, colleagues, and clients, I forgot to extend it to myself or my writing. All I saw was a writer not meeting self-imposed deadlines; I failed to see a writer working hard to keep creativity alive and managing to carve out time for her words, sometimes through 140 characters.

Go easy on yourself. Life happens and responsibilities shift. You might not always have the time or energy—despite all the intention—to write a 500-word article or develop your protagonist’s personality or dive deep into memory lane to churn out a personal essay or peel scabs of your past to pour out a poem.That shouldn’t stop you from calling yourself a writer or from doing any free writing.

I have to say…ever since my friend and I had the conversation about shifting my perspective about creativity…I have been feeling more productive and nourished. The pressure is off, and I get to have fun with words. Gosh, there is something liberating about writing without an agenda or a deadline. The catharsis is real. The creativity is unleashed. And the words all make sense in a much more organic and authentic way.

Let’s not pigeon-hole creativity, friends. Let no one tell you what makes you a writer…including that inner critic inside of you.

“Through the mere act of creating something—anything—you might inadvertently produce work that is magnificent, eternal, or important.”~ Elizabeth Gilbert

——-xx——

BIO: Sweta Srivastava Vikram (www.swetavikram.com) is a mindset & wellness coach, global speaker, and best-selling author of 12 books, including, the recent Louisiana Catch. She helps executives, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals increase profit and productivity through health and wellness. Winner of the “Voices of the Year Award,” (past recipients have been Chelsea Clinton and founders of the #MeToo movement) in her spare time, Sweta uses mindfulness, Ayurveda, and yoga to empower female survivors of trauma. Find her on: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. She is also the CEO-Founder of NimmiLife, which helps women share their stories, heal from trauma, and empower their mental health and lives using Ayurveda, yoga, and storytelling.

 

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Category: How To and Tips