motivation

[anotheranon]

In between bouts of getting cat meds/cleaning up cat messes over the weekend, I finally felt the impetus to start making stuff again. I'm not sure what's been holding me back; partly the $ situation, but I have to wonder if that isn't just an excuse for laziness, or a lack of inspiration.

I've seen the same thing in my writing over the past month - short, lackluster things that really aren't interesting, at least to me, and I have to wonder how interested readers are when the writer isn't. Interestingly, as my inspiration to sew has come back, so has my inspiration to write.

I hate falling into this rut of just "going through the motions" in my creative endeavors - after all, I do these things for FUN! And it's not as if I want to learn how to better force the words/stitches when I don't feel like it, I'd much rather learn to force the inspiration when it is absent.

I throw to my friends, because many of you are involved in creative pursuits - how do you keep the juices flowing, or kick start them when they've dried up?

Comments

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

I don't trust my writing to inspiration. I don't trust my writing to any mood, because moods come and go. I am a very disciplined writer, and I usually can "channel" in a character with some of their favorite music and making myself focus on their needs. Then, it *comes* like a river.

On the other hand, I don't work from impulse, or infatuation, and that is the reason why most writers dry up. My Memories series was an infatuation, and now that it's passed, I'm not really interested in continuing the character. But I will finish the story because I'm disciplined, and I still have things to say.

IMHO.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I can see your argument about not relying on inspiration alone, but if you still have things to say about a character, how can you be bored with it? Why not try to express the same ideas with a newer character?

Not a critique, just curious.

[semmie17.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's because I've made an investment in the Memories Kai character. I have an outline of what I want to do with it, but I have been putting 100% of my time into my dissertation and into the Nicky/Gigi thing that I haven't done much other writing. I needed to get my PhD and I want to publish an original novel -- and the Memories series, completed or not, will not help me reach either of those goals.

Part of the series was that it was about *me* -- breaking out of my old mold, learning about myself, and trying to get away from a suffocating marriage. If you read it again from that point of view, it's all *me* searching for answers. But now that I'm in a new headspace, I think Kai will be in a new headspace. He was exiled for three years, and if I start working on it again in November 2003, it will be exactly 3 years since I wrote the last part of the story (Nov. 2000).

I think that bodes well, eh? So, its sitting on the back burner for a while while I play god with Nicky, and work on getting my arse published. :))

[hadesgirl.livejournal.com]

I find that a lot of times, when the stress level is high, the juices stop flowing. Either that, or they REALLY flow because it is an outlet for all the energy. For me, I ask for input - as an example, my inspiration for Dark Son dried up, and a simple e-mail to Mad about it provided some remarkable ideas and I feel I can write it, and hopefully finish it, again.

Working with you and Semmie has given me great pleasure and our discussions about what is happening have given me many ideas. I think it's a matter of plugging ahead and working through the dry spells - I know not everything I write is good, but I do the best I can and realize I'm doing it for myself because I like it. Of course I want others to read and like my fic as well, but I have to do it for myself first. I find that no matter how dry it gets, there is always that one new idea around the corner that will rejeuvenate the story. Bounce ideas off of us - ask for opinions - ask for critique. I for one, value every little nugget of information y'all give me, and it DOES help the process, believe me!

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I'm learning that there is something to be said for going through the motions and working through the discouragement. To be perfectly honest, I can be very undisciplined in my creative endeavors (not just writing) because I let setbacks and "busywork" (for instance, cutting out patterns is very dull) get to me. It's a bad habit that I need to work on.

I am finding that talking with you, Semmie and others DOES help, I'm just so used to working alone that I forget that I don't have to work in a vacuum!

We've got to have another get together, with no distractions. On yer laptops, get set....!

[hadesgirl.livejournal.com]

Eeeek!!! Wait till I get the new laptop first...
next weekend hopefully!