Staying Open by Darlene Beck Jacobson

 I've always loved April. Spring, new beginnings, a chance to try new things. But just because things feel new, it doesn't always follow that new ideas will automatically arrive with the robins and daffodils.

 As far as my own writing goes, I have plenty of ideas. But many of them seem to take me a few pages into a story, and then...the door closes. No matter how many times I knock on that door to creativity, it can be stubborn to open. I have two completed middle grade manuscripts that haven't found a home yet. Another WIP that is at a standstill. Forcing myself to work on a project that feels "stuck" leads to frustration and total shut down.

What's a writer to do?

The best way for me to keep open to writing is to work on other creative pursuits. I have my own blog where I post about kid-friendly activities, recipes, and great books and their authors. I read a lot of middle grade books, so I also post reviews. Discovering new authors and some amazing books helps spark my own creativity.

 I recently began classes in tai chi and watercolor. Two seemingly unrelated activities, but both have an important factor in common. They require concentration and staying present in the moment in order to achieve success. I will never be a master at either pursuit. But, using my creativity in different ways has freed my mind and given it space to welcome whatever enters.

 

 

Sometimes, the muse slips in through the open door and we sit down and have a chat. Once upon a time there was a writer...

Darlene Beck Jacobson is always open to learning new things and often gets her best ideas for writing when she is doing something else.