Throughout my life, my writing process shape shifted often, depending on the season of life I am in. For example, it depends on whether I have a considerable amount of downtime to devote to writing or if it’s a more rigid time of getting one thing done after another, which then leaves little time for creative reflection. Another big factor that pertains to this writing life, is the fact that I am a nomad. I spend a lot of time traveling from place to place. Travel can be a beautiful source of inspiration. But If I’m moving too quickly, and not prioritizing a slower, simpler lifestyle that my body requires, it can hinder the creative process.
I’ve found that when life presents a heightened, busy, and or frantic energy, I like to make time for sitting in nature. In a grounded and intentional way to write poetry, that’s what soothes my soul. It helps uplift my energies and paves the way for the motivation to write even more.
In other situations, such as the one I have presented with right now, I have a mix of two different energies to work with. One is a fast-paced travel life as my husband and I drive every day. With the intent to get through the cold and barren parts of the US. While simultaneously making time to visit national parks. And even with all the buzzing energy, I’ve accepted the winter invitation to slow down. Set aside work for a few weeks. This opened the portal for inspiration to flow.
Travel can be a beautiful source of inspiration
On my first day on vacation, a new inspired idea for a spiritual fiction book came to me quite suddenly. While I was in the middle of launching a book this spring. Yet this new book idea continues to write itself as I make space for it to come through me.
In my experience, when we make even just a little space for ourselves to detach from the everyday world- it creates an automatic alignment with creative flow. I wonder if we are always just one small step away from the thriving, and inspired writing life we desire. Perhaps when we make space in our lives, we no longer need to establish a particular writing practice (aside from the structure needing to be established in busy times).
Because when aligned with a creative flow, you become one with whatever surges through you now— and now— and now. Then you may look back to see that all along the writing journey had a life of its own, and just needed you to be the channel from which it expressed itself. And that can be the most beautiful thing— writing isn’t a doing; it simply comes into being. And then, everything unfolds as it should.
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