It’s been a few weeks that I completely gave up on my writing routine. Too busy with work, I didn’t have the mental capacity to focus on my stories. I was pretty upset about it, until I wasn’t anymore. In this article, I will share with you how taking a break from writing is fine and can actually help you to boost your creativity and inspiration.
In my previous articles on writing, I told you about how to create your own writing routine, I also told you about the yearly planning I had made for my writings, with monthly goals and so on. I suddenly realized that it might give you the impression that writing is a linear thing that can be handled all year along, without a single break, as long as you structure it well. Well, my friend, that’s definitely wrong.
While I love the periods where I’m able to write a lot and in quite a consistent way, I know that it’s not always going to be like that. To be honest with you, I had forgotten about that when I did my yearly planning. I had the hope that I would be able to stay the same, month after month, like a machine. I had expected a slower activity during summer, but then other things happened and… I didn’t manage to accomplish any of my writing goals for June. None of them.
Why ? Because I started to work with a new client on a big translation project, and it took a lot of time, and I was too tired to write. I ended up reading a lot instead, and when I’m in a period where I read a lot… I tend to stop writing. So yeah, for the first five months of the year, I was quite proud of myself for how much I did on the writing side. But then in June, everything collapsed, if I may say. I was troubled by that at first, I was upset and disappointed in myself. But then I realized that… It’s fine. I may not be writing a lot these days, but it doesn’t mean that my brain is shutting down, you know. And so I feel that I’m accumulating new inspiration, finding new things that inspire me, tickle my creativity. I take the time to appreciate life, see the world with a new vision, recharging my batteries… and I just know that when I will start writing again, I will have a lot to write about.
So I stopped worrying. I’m doing what I have to do, and when the need to write will come back, I will be ready. I still write my ideas here and there but I don’t sit to write yet, because it just doesn’t feel like the right moment. I know it’s quite vague, but I think any artist can relate to that. I guess a part of my brain is also thinking “it’s summer, try to relax and enjoy it”, so this might be a factor too. But I don’t stress about it. I try not to put any pressure on myself, appreciate what I’ve done so far, and if I can’t catch up with yearly planning goals, that’s fine, I can just edit the planning and try again.
So this is the message of today. There are going to be periods where you will be super productive and write a lot. And then there are going to be periods of time where you won’t feel like writing at all, and that’s fine. Enjoy the present, have fun, and you can be sure that inspiration and the need to write will eventually come back.
How it is for you ? Are you in a very productive period or a slump like me ? Maybe in-between ?
I wish you all a lovely day, and see you next Wednesday !
Marie.
Marie K. Ricci - Author | Translator 