Me? A writer? - The ultimate guide for any aspiring artist
Share
I’ve done it. I’ve published my first book. A real one. Well, “real” is a bit extra, and it is not a book, in case you are on your way to the library to buy it. It’s a digital journal with 30 pages, but it still counts, right? Does that make me a writer? I have to call my mom.
In my wildest dreams, I would never think I will one day see the word “Author” close to my name. Oh yes! It is the first thing I did after uploading the journal on my website (Yes! I have a website now. With my name in it and my picture. And all that staff. I know! Crazy, right?!).
Do you realize that? Me, Christine, I have become an authentic artist. I create full time. Well, I am note sure how long I can resist before starting to look for a job again, but we’ll see. Every time I take a look at my bank account, I miss having a heart attack. And I am just 39 years old (That’s too soon, right?). Please Jesus come to my rescue! I’m not even sure that he can hear me from where he is. The party must be wild up there.
And you know what he said at the sermon on the Mount on The Chosen’s TV series? : “Do not be anxious saying What shall we eat, what shall we drink, or what shall we wear”. I was like : “But J, how about how shall we pay the mortgage? Did you thought about that before telling us to follow our dreams? Is Father aware of what you are saying to us? Did He even know we have houses? I am pretty sure He do not need a house, let alone a mortgage.
Ok, I think I am putting my stress on J’s back. Sorry Brother. Let’s get back to the subject.
I think my life is starting to be exciting though. And I was just telling myself last week how boring it was. Never lose hope.
But now what? All I have to do is open my laptop and the words will flow into my brain like a river? At least, that was what I have experienced with the “Do you know who you are” journal (yes, I will keep talking to you about it until you click on the “buy” button like Robert did. You don’t know how tenacious I am, do you?).
So here I am, sat again in the same round dining table (yes, details matter. And that table is the most gorgeous thing you’ve never seen. Trust me.), ready to catch every word that will fly through my brain. And…nothing. Not a single one. There is no way I am going to let myself be defeated. The first thing to do, of course, is to google it.
2. THE NECESSARY STEPS TO UNLOCK ANY CREATIVITY
· Step no 1: Stop calling yourself “A writer”
As a beginner, there is nothing more paralyzing than calling yourself what you want to become. I mean, you are learning something new. It is hard enough to take the decision and start doing the thing. So, if you put on top of it the pressure of achieving a good result, you just shot yourself in the foot.
So, take the pressure off, Christine.
· Step no 2: Buy yourself a cardigan
I did go to the store and bought myself a beige cardigan (yes, details matter, remember?). Almost everything is beige or white, at my house. My lovely niece is even calling me “the beige bird”. Don’t ask me where the bird thing came from. It is a long story and you do not have the time to listen to it right now.
Like I was saying, I rushed to the store to by myself a cardigan. Why? Because almost all the writers I see on movies, have one. That and a pair of glasses (Note to myself, go back to the store and buy a pair of glasses.) I’m sure I will look absolutely fantastic in them. Don’t miss my next upload on YouTube. You will soon see me wearing them.
I don’t know what it is about cardigans and writers. Are they always cold? Well, I guess if your brain is constantly working to produce thousands of words, it will somehow have an effect on your body temperature. But, still…
You can not be the owner of a steak restaurant if you are a vegetarian, can you? You have to consume what you produce, am I wrong? So, reading books is an absolute necessity of an aspiring writer.
Reading is not going to be a problem for me, obviously. I mean, the girl is reading since she is one year old so…Ok, I over exaggerate, as always. But still…The only activity I enjoyed as a child, was when I was back to school and sat down in my favorite chair with a book in my hands. That was my thing, and still is. But I have to say that the subject of the books has slightly changed over the years. Back then I was fond of love stories (Harlequin, that was my type. Do you know that book collection? Oh, love!). Now, I am more into stories about “What on earth I am doing in this planet and how I am going to land in my Father’s home once I am done with the job I am here to do”. You see what I mean.
· Step no 4: Find what inspires you
Some of us find inspiration in a muse, others in art exhibitions, for me it is music. Music has the power to rebalance all the cells in my body and spirit (Is there cells in a spirit?).
There is nothing more efficient for me than going for a 30 minutes run with my headphones on. The minute I start to sweat, it is like a symphony of words in my brain. And it is the poem kind of words. So, if you want me to write an entire collection in 3 hours, bring me to a marathon with a cello concert along the way. It will be epic.
I have a tiny issue with that one. The problem is, I have so much creative projects in mind, that it is a nightmare to pic one. That’s the main problem when you have multiple creative interests. If I am sitting down with my laptop writing, there is a long line of projects ideas, that are lining up at my right and start looking at me with their eyes full of tears. But I can not satisfy everyone, can I? So, I am doing my best.
3. THE OUTCOME OF EVERY CREATIVE PROJECT
The creative ideas that you have are not random. If I sit back and think about what I have gain from pursuing each one of them, here is what I can see: freedom.
Being creative allows me to build from scratch my own world. Why is that a necessity? Because, I’ve always felt like I was somehow trapped in this world, captive of a world that does not suit me, almost like I was an alien whose spacecraft landed here by accident (I know, poor me. But I am doing much better now, thank you for asking).
So, the capacity to create gives me the power to create the world I want to see, which moves me from a state of captive to a state of liberty. I am no longer powerless in front of a world I am rejecting; I am the architect of the one I want to live in. Magic, right?
The sensation of freedom, is also accentuated by the fact that, creating does not have any guidelines. There is no rules to follow, no restrictions. You are then free to bring to life any idea you happen to have. And those ideas are endless.
So, if you happen to have any creative idea on the back of your mind, do not ignore it. Give it a try. You may be surprised by what you can take out from it.
I wish you all the joy on your way back to your tool box.
With all my love,
Christine