"When we are self-conscious, we cannot be wholly aware; we must throw ourselves out first.
The throwing ourselves away is the act of creativity.
So, when we wholly concentrate, like a child in play, or an artist at work, then we share in the act of creating.
We not only escape time, we also escape our self-conscious selves.
" -- Madeleine L'Engle Action We must take action to create our art.
We must play at it, as a child approaches playing.
I love this quote, and want to share with you how we can escape into our art, and to open the door into the sumptuous world of our own creativity.
Play What was your favorite game or pastime as a child? Think back to how you spent your time.
For example, I loved playing Capture the Flag, or exploring nearby wine grape vineyards, or getting full of burrs playing in abandoned.
I also loved curling up with good adventure stories like Misty of Chincoteague.
What did you love about the games you played? Dig beneath the pleasure and describe its elements.
With reading, for example, I'm always on an adventure and this I love.
Identify Identify the thing you love about your writing.
Identify it and sink your teeth into it.
I'm in love with my current piece of fiction: its characters, setting, and problems.
I can't wait to return to that world so that I can sit in the angst of the problems I've created and move my characters to some kind of resolution.
Time to take act Set the time for 20 minutes or so.
Write about all the reasons why you can't do your art.
If you find yourself writing about other things, great.
The point is to move pen across page without stopping until the buzzer rings.
Or, write about what you want your creative project to really be like.
Tracking You are ready to work.
Your art materials are laid out in front of you, the computer is on, or the clay is before you.
In a notebook, track your progress.
When you write what you've done and for how long, it shows that you've done it! MAP Greg Norte teaches that a MAP is a Major Accountability Partner.
This person is a colleague or creativity buddy.
Call them weekly to report in, celebrate your successes and shore up any challenges.
I have MAP's in all areas of my life.
Go team! List of Twenty One of my favorite exercises, appeals to both the left and right brainers out there.
It's great for story and idea generation in any area.
Five steps to implementing this simple yet powerful tool: Step One: Set your intention for the list.
Decide what you're going to use the list for.
For example, you could decide to list out twenty possible plot ideas, or answer the question "what do I really want with this creative project?" Step Two: Get ready! Number your page down the left hand side, 1-20.
Step Three:Get set! Know that you will list twenty items, even if you repeat yourself.
Step Four: Go! Write your list of twenty.
Don't stop until you've reached the end.
Step Five: Read your list with amusement and neutrality and congratulate yourself.
You did it.
If you are so inspired pick one item and work on it right now.
Fieldtrip When I need inspiration, and something to jolt me into action, I take a little field trip down the hill through my neighborhood.
I go to one of my favorite coffee shops, sit in the little plaza enjoying the mural, and the passersby while I write.
Where can you go to mix things up, get inspiration, feed your fire? It may only be a seven and a half minute walk away.
Hopefully now you have been inspired to action, to choose a few or all of the above exercises to help you "wholly concentrate" and "share in the act of creating" with your art, and to lovingly and kindly get the hell out of your own way.
Now, Go Play!