Hello there,
How are you?
I hope you are well and that you and your creativity are thriving.
You may have noticed that I haven’t sent out a newsletter for a while. Then again, if your inbox is anything like mine, you probably haven’t noticed because there’s already so much stuff vying for your attention.
In my work – whatever that work is – I always gravitate towards doing what I know is of value to me. I am not some unique specimen of a human being so if I like something, or find it useful, the chances are another human will too.
So, every time I thought about writing a blog post or a newsletter or even a tweet, I would think – what would I need or want to hear? What can I provide that is helpful? And you know what the answer was?
Nothing.
I long to hear nothing. I long for silence. I long for great expanses of mental space in which ideas can arise, creative thoughts can form or where I can just simply give my mind a break from the chatter.
What I don’t long for are dozens of links to writing advice, seventeen podcasts on productivity or any more hacks or hussles or long, fractious, argumentative threads about how to do this writing thing, boss this writing life and finally WIN THE GAME OF CREATIVE LIVING!
That’s not to say that I am not addicted to all of this input. I am. I think we all are. There’s a reason I only visit social media on Sundays.
But deep down in my soul and my gut I know that the most useful thing we can do to strengthen and grow is to have more time connected to ourselves, so that we can listen to our inner creativity (a persistent voice but a quiet one, hard to hear in the noise of social media and 24:7 news). While general writing advice absolutely has its place – I’ve given plenty of it and will again – none of us who have an internet connection are lacking other people’s opinions and guidance.
What many of us ARE badly lacking is our own sense of how to live this creative life.
Which is why I haven’t send a newsletter for a while. I have been thinking of you, Dear Unstoppables, but I have been giving you the gift of space.
Now take some more. Take it whenever and wherever you can. Leave your phone outside the room for an hour. Take a half-day off social media. Go for a walk. Tell your creativity that this time is just for it to tell you how it’s doing and what it needs.
In the silence and space, your creativity will speak.
Nicola x