I think I might have posted on this before, but I firmly believe that creativity is a finite well. For creative people, and I count myself among them, the desire to create fills up steadily and itches to be released. That release can be through writing, art, or even work, if you happen to have a job that involves building something with a lot of independence and flexibility. In fact, that is dangerous for writing, as the well can be emptied at work and leave only exhaustion for other creative outlets at the end of the day. I’ve had a number of days like that. Good for those who look for work to fulfil that desire, dangerous for those who wish to write.

So if you have a boring and monotonous job, congratulations! 🙂

The other challenge with the creative well, is that sometimes going to it too often scrapes the bottom dry. Sometimes it helps to let it fill up, take a break, and then come back later. But this is a dangerous line to walk too, as it can slip into procrastination! And not writing makes sure you get no books into the world, whatever else you’re doing (writing posts like this included, ironically).

When I was learning art, I learned to switch back and forth between drawing new things (outlining) and doing monotonous non-creative work (coloring and shading) to always be able to use time effectively, whether the well was full or not. Maybe I should try to segment my writing better to be able to switch back and forth the same way. Maybe this means having two projects going at the same time, and alternating creativity and editing. It’s an interesting idea.

But one thing I know, the worst thing you can do is try to scrape the well dry. You’re only going to burn out and either come up with an empty bucket (a bad book) or a lack of enthusiasm to go back to the well at all (burning out and not wanting to write at all).

Why am I writing about the Well now? I’m not getting much done and trying to approach that problem in a thoughtful way. Part of my current challenge is priorities (work, kids, and moving), where writing falls a sad fourth, unfortunately. But I also want to make sure that I have the motivation to get back to writing when I have the time. That I don’t burn out the well, or scrape it painfully. I love writing, and want to feel the desire and reward that comes with it. Right now, I’m not sure I have that balance exactly right…

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The image is an oldy, a pencil drawing of a shield in a river. I think the rough water and ominous mood is appropriate here. 🙂

And on the personal side, we have sold a house, bought a house, and moved in this week. Overwhelming, particularly with my escalating work demands. But I love the new property, which includes a pool, which I’ve never had before, and it’s nice sometimes to shake things up, even if it means muddying up the well. 🙂