Writers Gotta Write
What happens when life gets in the way?
One of my clients (I freelance as a marketing consultant for creatives) recently exclaimed in our weekly meeting that she’s been so busy promoting her book, she hasn’t been able to find any time to work on the next one, or write anything creative. I immediately added to her To Do list: “Find time to write!” And she did. She started going to the library every day for an hour.
The conversation reminded me that I haven’t been writing either. Not creatively. I’ve been writing a lot of emails, proposals, applications, and To Do lists, but I haven’t started a new creative project. And, while I’m not anxious about it (yet), I am wondering when I’m going to have the proper bandwidth to either rewrite something old, or (preferably) write something new.
Suffice it to say… writers gotta write. Maybe that’s how you know you are a writer, when you view it as more than just a job… but a lifeline.
Writing is how we writers stay grounded, how we process the world and our emotions, how we purge our demons. A brief period of not writing can feel like a vacation for our brains. But it doesn’t take long to start feeling anxious. Too long and we start wondering if we still can write, if anyone will remember us if we never write again, and questioning the purpose of life in general.
So, what happens when life gets in the way? Or we’re not in our preferred environment? Or we only have a limited amount of time? How does one get into the mindset of writing?
Let’s break it down.
The first step is creating a space to write - both physically and mentally. I use the phrase “Think Tank” to describe both.
My home office in upstate NY is the original Think Tank.
The beauty of being a writer is you can set up your Think Tank almost anywhere. All you need is a desk, a chair, your computer (or whatever you write on), light, relative quiet, and privacy.
For me, some other things that create the Think Tank include candles, music, inspiring images and phrases tacked onto the wall, and alters made out of interesting things I find in nature (like my ever growing rock collection). I’m also into smells. For some reason, having an incense, palo santo stick, sage, or combination of these burning in the background helps me concentrate. Finally, I keep a small bowl of crystals near my computer. I like having plants nearby. And I need order in my house or room. I can’t write in a messy environment.
These touchstones have become such an integral part of my practice that I take them with me when I travel. Or buy them when I land. When I went to Ireland last year for a residency, one of the first things I bought was a big bag of tea candles. In fact, the first thing I do when I arrive anywhere is set up the Think Tank.
Here in NYC, I also have a Think Tank, which is still evolving. And I’ve been productive in many respects, but I haven’t yet been able to write creatively, for a number of reasons. The main one is I’ve just been too damn busy.
The second requirement for writing is time. And here in lies the rub. Because sometimes we just don’t have time. Or we don’t have enough quality time. Sometimes it’s out of our control, like when I was caregiving my late husband and too overwhelmed to do anything else. Other times it’s just… life.
There are ways around this. Sylvia Plath used to write at 4:00am before her children woke up. So did Toni Morrison. Other writers work at night, and on the weekends. I’ve done this before too, and it works.
But I also have a bad habit of trying to do too many things at once. Sadly, I cannot do my freelance work, look for more work, fundraise for one short film, direct another short film, go to the gym, start dating again, watch everything I want to watch, read everything I want to read, keep in touch with everyone I want to keep in touch with, keep up with the news, write regularly on this Substack, and write a new screenplay.
Somethings gotta give.
When my client mentioned her need to write, I started feeling bad about my own lack of writing. I had to remind myself of a few things.
First, trying to do everything at once is unsustainable, unproductive, and not good for our mental health. We end up feeling like we’re getting nothing done despite our working ALL the time and pushing ourselves to the limit! And then we feel discouraged, depressed, and crazy. Or we get so stressed that we get sick (I had shingles in January, followed by a bad cold in February).
Better to prioritize fewer things. For me right now, this means my freelance work because that pays the bills, going to the gym because I’ve de-prioritized my physical health for too long, and directing a short film. I’ll get to everything else too, but these three things are my primary focus at the moment. Others might prioritize their lives differently.
Second, as a writer/director, sometimes one is in writing mode, and other times one is in directing mode. For the past few weeks, I’ve been in pre-production on my third short film, which shoots THIS WEEK in Arkansas. Directing requires a ton of concentration too, but in a totally different way than writing.
If you’re like me and struggling to find the Think Tank (the mindset), remember that sometimes the best we can do is think about writing, about what to write next, different story ideas. Jot ideas down, journal, carry a small notepad. Let ideas percolate and remain open to inspiration. Don’t wait too long to start writing. But know that this period is also part of the process.
And, lastly, have faith that when you do get back to writing, it will FLOW.
