Being out of the routine of our daily lives, whether on vacation, in a new locale or just having a day off work, can lead to wonderfully creative surges. When the confined and monotonous shifts to being open and limitless, our brains often stretch and inhale with new life.
But sometimes this change, however minor, can be paralyzing. Instead of having our routine to fall back on, our common, repeated actions to soothe us and move our bodies in a hazy cloud of unawareness while our minds engage, we grow fearful with the notion that we’re all alone and adrift in a sea of maybe, sorta, kinda, without the reassurance of repeated knowledge to support us.
These are the times in which we grow creatively the most but can potentially lose the momentum that has brought us to this point in our writing careers. If you find yourself in a new situation–and excited by the potential–but wasting time procrastination because you don’t know where to begin, try a few of these to get yourself in the writing groove:
1. Give yourself permission to decompress, refresh and observe.
A few days away from writing might be just what you need, but with the constant pressure to keep on cranking out the words, you’ll soon find yourself at odds with and possibly angry at yourself. Treat yourself with the same care you extend to others who might be adjusting to a new venue, lifestyle or schedule. Observe your writing thoughts, your creative mind. Are you upset because you’re not writing? Because what you’re writing isn’t what you think you should be writing? Maybe you’re not writing enough or with your usual level of intensity. Give yourself permission to be a little less perfect, a little more forgiving of your process in this time of limbo rather than beating yourself up.
2. Pick your most favorite element of your previous routine and start there.
For writers, routine is so much a part of our process, our ability to create that without those small, mindless activities we begin our writing with, like pouring a cup of coffee, lighting a candle, walking the dog, stretching or turning on the iPod, we never give our subconscious mind the trigger that we are approaching our creative time with intent. On my recent trip to Las Vegas, I was worried about being able to transition my early morning hours into productive writing sessions. Upon reflection, I discovered that having a cup of coffee was my trigger to tell my brain to start moving. As soon as I woke and dressed, I went down to the casino coffee shop and ordered something hot and steamy. By the time I found my way to the indoor park (amazingly empty at 5am Vegas time!) and a bench, my mind was chomping at the bit to get cracking on the laptop.
3. Vary Your Routine
Vacation and time away from home screws up everyone’s internal clocks and natural rhythms. On vacations away from home, I often wake earlier than I would were I at home. As a result, I wind up being ready for bed earlier than normal. For me, that early waking time is quiet time without kids, phones, email or distractions. Some friends get up later and use the fact that they’re on vacation to stay up later than normal. If you’re with kids, try to customize your schedule to take advantage of the ebb and flow of theirs. If there aren’t any kids, take some time to notice your energy levels throughout the day. Just because your novelist friends don’t write from noon to five every day doesn’t mean you can’t if that‘s when you feel most creative (and your kids are napping or off with family).
4. Start Something New
You’re on vacation, after all. The other elements of your life are currently on hold or in a state of flux, so it stands to reason your writing will be as well. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try writing in public instead of sequestered in your creative cave. Or you’d like to give longhand a shot. Do something new, shake up your routine and see if there’s any validity in trying things another way. Unless you’re on a dead strict editorial deadline, use this time to play with writing and add a new element. You’ll never know how much you might grow if you don’t give it a shot. If it doesn’t work, back home will be back to the grindstone. Writing should always be a passionate activity, not a punishment full of drudgery. One small tweak can be the key to kicking your career in the behind.
How do you manage to keep writing while on vacation or when your schedule gets screwy? We’d love your insight!
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Great post, I agree that vacations can spark new ideas. I love writing on vacation, lying on the beach with a notebook or making notes or putting stories together in the evening. It’s also an opportunity to write without worrying that other things like housework, dinner, daily job, need to be done.
Thanks Katarzyna. There’s something really special about writing on vacation…no worries!
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