I love all of these tips! I really struggled with my writing after I sent my novel for a developmental edit a couple of years ago and ended up having to rewrite the entire book. It seemed everything I thought I did well was specifically called out in my edit letter as something to work on. It was ROUGH.
I've never really thought of myself as a particularly imaginative person, so all my struggles to reconstruct the plot just fed into that and I gave up on my novel for months. I couldn't read in my genre, either, could barely read at all because everything I read just seemed to remind me of my own failings (if this sounds melodramatic, believe me, I know! But that's really how I felt for months).
What ultimately helped me the most was taking up sewing, for a few reasons. One, it's a creative outlet that is solely for myself, so it's low pressure. It doesn't have to be *good*, because honestly as soon as you tell someone "I made it myself!" they don't care if your hem is wobbly or your pleats are uneven, they just think it's cool you made your own skirt.
More importantly, though, sewing reminded me of my own creativity. I didn't think of sewing as a creative endeavour when I started -- I was just cutting out and assembling other people's patterns, right? -- but I very soon realised that most of my projects were self-drafted or heavily modified patterns because I couldn't find a pattern that exactly matched what I had in my head. They're simple patterns, because I'm still a newbie, but I really couldn't escape the fact that making up my own patterns is an act of creativity.
And sewing gave me the space in my day to daydream about my stories in a way I hadn't in months, because I was doing something with my hands that didn't fully occupy my brain, and so my mind wandered and made connections in my story as I worked.
That book is now in line edits, a most terrifying and thrilling process.
This turned out way longer than I thought it would, but the short version is that sometimes to trust your creativity, you have to trick yourself into thinking your new, low-stakes hobby isn't creative, until suddenly you realise that you're daydreaming about your story 😛
Firstly, congratulations on your book being in line edits! I always find myself experiencing a strange mix of emotions when a book is in its final stages, fear is definitely one of them!
I'm sorry that your developmental edit was tough, but it sounds like the experience lead you to a new hobby which has had a positive impact on your writing. I used to take writing sooo seriously, and while it's an important part of my life I feel more creatively in tune with myself when I lower the pressure and just play around with ideas and characters and not worry too much about things being perfect - a little like your sewing example!
Also, it must feel really good to work with your hands on a hobby that isn't screen based! I've read a few articles about crafts have a calming effect and let our minds wander in a good way.
Your letter/post is very thoughtful and I love the phrase "you can’t pour from an empty cup", too. We need to rest in order to create. There's nothing wrong with taking things slow.
Taking things slow is something I have to consciously remind myself of, but I feel much more present and at peace in my daily life when I remember that life isn't a race.
This is beautiful Kate. Thank you so much for sharing. Your words mirror much of the feelings I had coming out of a creative slump. A phrase I’ve been holding close lately is “follow the joy” as a guide for where I want to spend my creative energy. It’s been very freeing and a good check in for when I feel lost or swayed by comparisonitis.
I love all of these tips! I really struggled with my writing after I sent my novel for a developmental edit a couple of years ago and ended up having to rewrite the entire book. It seemed everything I thought I did well was specifically called out in my edit letter as something to work on. It was ROUGH.
I've never really thought of myself as a particularly imaginative person, so all my struggles to reconstruct the plot just fed into that and I gave up on my novel for months. I couldn't read in my genre, either, could barely read at all because everything I read just seemed to remind me of my own failings (if this sounds melodramatic, believe me, I know! But that's really how I felt for months).
What ultimately helped me the most was taking up sewing, for a few reasons. One, it's a creative outlet that is solely for myself, so it's low pressure. It doesn't have to be *good*, because honestly as soon as you tell someone "I made it myself!" they don't care if your hem is wobbly or your pleats are uneven, they just think it's cool you made your own skirt.
More importantly, though, sewing reminded me of my own creativity. I didn't think of sewing as a creative endeavour when I started -- I was just cutting out and assembling other people's patterns, right? -- but I very soon realised that most of my projects were self-drafted or heavily modified patterns because I couldn't find a pattern that exactly matched what I had in my head. They're simple patterns, because I'm still a newbie, but I really couldn't escape the fact that making up my own patterns is an act of creativity.
And sewing gave me the space in my day to daydream about my stories in a way I hadn't in months, because I was doing something with my hands that didn't fully occupy my brain, and so my mind wandered and made connections in my story as I worked.
That book is now in line edits, a most terrifying and thrilling process.
This turned out way longer than I thought it would, but the short version is that sometimes to trust your creativity, you have to trick yourself into thinking your new, low-stakes hobby isn't creative, until suddenly you realise that you're daydreaming about your story 😛
Yes! Pursuing other ‘hobbies’ is super helpful. Why do we constantly tell ourselves that what we do isn’t valuable enough??
Hi Nicola,
Firstly, congratulations on your book being in line edits! I always find myself experiencing a strange mix of emotions when a book is in its final stages, fear is definitely one of them!
I'm sorry that your developmental edit was tough, but it sounds like the experience lead you to a new hobby which has had a positive impact on your writing. I used to take writing sooo seriously, and while it's an important part of my life I feel more creatively in tune with myself when I lower the pressure and just play around with ideas and characters and not worry too much about things being perfect - a little like your sewing example!
Also, it must feel really good to work with your hands on a hobby that isn't screen based! I've read a few articles about crafts have a calming effect and let our minds wander in a good way.
Your letter/post is very thoughtful and I love the phrase "you can’t pour from an empty cup", too. We need to rest in order to create. There's nothing wrong with taking things slow.
Taking things slow is something I have to consciously remind myself of, but I feel much more present and at peace in my daily life when I remember that life isn't a race.
This is beautiful Kate. Thank you so much for sharing. Your words mirror much of the feelings I had coming out of a creative slump. A phrase I’ve been holding close lately is “follow the joy” as a guide for where I want to spend my creative energy. It’s been very freeing and a good check in for when I feel lost or swayed by comparisonitis.
"Follow the joy" - I really like that mantra! It must help to separate the 'should dos' from what you truly, deeply want.
A thoughtful and helpful post, Kate, thank you. And what gorgeous photos!
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful!
Such good advice, Kate. I’m writing a blog post now about easing back into writing after a big move and your post resonates. Best of luck to you!
I'm glad it helped, Stephanie! Best wishes with easing back into a writing routine xx