Cooking Up Creativity

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” ~Henri Matisse

If creativity was a plant, then inspiration 

would be its flower.  Just like with a plant, our creativity must be cared for - watered, fertilized, pruned and sometimes, repotted.  As writers, we do this in a variety of ways.  Some of us look to nature - we may go for a walk, watch a sunset, or listen to the rain.  Others may focus on something artistic - like painting, scrapbooking, or music.

But what if our tried and true methods don't work and we are stuck with writer's block? Do we shake our fists in frustration? Or do we wait for our muse to take pity on us?  

We might try to incorporate our writing into our daily lives.  Think about the setting of the story.  Where does it take place?  What stands out about the location?  Think about the smells, the tastes...  Could preparing your main character's favorite meal put you in the right frame of mind? What are you waiting for?  Break out those pots and pans!

Now, this isn't my character's favorite dish - but it's one of mine. 

 Hope you enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

1 - 10 oz pkg of Vigo yellow rice (Cook as directed)

1 onion, chopped

1 stick butter or margarine

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can of Rotel

1/2 lb Velvetta cheese

1 chicken, boiled and deboned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil and debone chicken, pull into small pieces and lay in the bottom of 9x13 pan. Cover with the cooked rice.  Melt butter in pan and add other ingredients.  Heat until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Pour over rice. (Make sure the sauce seeps through the rice to reach the chicken.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

What's a writer to do when they lose their muse?

You sit there - staring at your monitor - praying that the words will come - but they don't....

Writer's block. Most of us have experienced it and those that haven't - well, consider yourself lucky. There's probably a multitude of reasons that we seem to lose the connection with our muse. Work, family, sickness...  Maybe it's as simple and as complicated as trying to force our story to follow our carefully laid out "plan" - only the characters in our heads aren't cooperating. Whatever the reason, the outcome is the same.  We're stuck.  No words are coming - not ones we're satisfied with anyway.  So - what to do?

I've come to think that perhaps we need to feed our creative selves just as we feed our physical selves. For me, I head to the beach or down to the river.  I can usually count on something being there to spark my imagination.  A piece of driftwood might bring to mind a shipwreck - and that leads to the sailors that were aboard.  Maybe one of those sailors survived...  A broken conch shell might make me visualize an octopus lying in wait for its next meal and that may lead to killer hiding in the shadows waiting for some unsuspecting person to go on their nightly run.

The thing is, we each have to find whatever it is that recharges our creative batteries so to speak. For me, it's being near the water.  For you, it may be visiting an art gallery or people watching at your favorite coffee shop.  After working full time jobs and taking care of homes and families, we may feel there isn't enough time in the day to recharge.  It's one of those things that we should make mandatory.  If we can put the trash out on Thursday nights, surely we can set aside an hour or so to let our imaginations run wild.

Writing is what makes us happy.  It's the thing that makes us tick.  We owe it to ourselves to find the time to feed our creative selves.