Stimulating the Imagination with a Pocket of Moments
Nestled in the North Georgia Mountains, U.S. with my children, puppy, and kitten, I've learned that writing, like these mountains and in Nature, has different cycles for me.
One technique I immediately embraced from Creative Writing by Sally O’Reilly, a new book for me, is overcoming perfection. Overall, I don’t have a quiet house and there are lots of interruptions which is just about true for everyone I know. I feel as though I can never really get lost in my thoughts, or my imagination, as much as I wish. So, I grab moments here and there. I’ve learned that I cannot wait any longer for a “perfect” environment to write and paint. This way I can go ahead and begin my larger creative projects with the knowledge that they will not be my best work, but they will have to do because otherwise there will not be any substantial bodies of work from me. It’s taken me years to make this decision. For the most part, my background has been writing small sporadic stories, poetry, and art.
This may all change in a few years, but as for now, I have just turned 59 and need to move forward. This acceptance has taken a lot of pressure and stress off of me. It is a relief and a wonderful dedication to my life to do this.
My hope, and a gift to myself over this next year, is to finish my illustrated novel. It’ll be a 60th birthday gift. Also, since it will be my first novel, I hope to purge a lot of the ideas that have built up over the years. Each chapter will be able to stand alone but at the same time the story continues and builds until the end.
Trying to adhere to what I have perceived as the best process of creativity kept me from so much. Since I have to start and stop every few minutes, these tiny, abrupt work moments will be reflected in my work, hence why each chapter and each illustration will be able to stand alone. It is not ideal, but it is okay. I’m happy that I’m doing this.
I finished my BA in Creative Writing and English Literature, Summa cum laude, in December 2023 with a concentration in Poetry and am continuing this with my MA but with a concentration in Fiction. I started my MA in February 2024 in English Literature and Creative Writing because I need more development in the writing of fiction and I love Literature. The poetry workshops helped me to truly understand the importance of each word and its placement.
The kind of stories and art I create and hope to do better with is based on Nature, the seasons, the human psyche, growth, internal challenges, inclusivity and diversity, neurodiverse/divergent characters, and overall love of this life we are living. The genres are a blend of magical realism, academia, literary fiction, folk tales, and faerie tales during our modern times.
The two techniques that stand out the most for me from the book so far are developing a daily writing habit and using clustering for idea generation.
“Virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions,” by Aristotle.
Excellence is a habit and so I need to begin the begin. I am moving past waiting for inspiration and hoping for large amounts of time to write and illustrate. I am committed to writing and working on an illustration daily, in a pocket of moments. Some days my creativity flows easily while other days, it comes slowly. Consistently creating, every day, will help me to develop my sentences, poems, short stories, and art while clearing out any stagnant energy. Other benefits include ideas, for my literary fiction while blending folklore with modern themes, which come more often. I have noticed that my observational skills of nature and human behavior are becoming sharper.
Clustering is a lot of fun and boosts my creativity. With a strong interest in neurodiversity and human experience, this technique will be valuable. It will create maps of my subconscious, revealing hidden connections and themes.
When clustering, I will start with a central idea, like "empathy" or the "dark lens" that I use in my work. I will let my mind wander and write down related thoughts and images. For example, clustering around "neurodiversity" led me to compare the diversity of human minds to the varied cycles of ecology in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This metaphor may add depth to my story and reflect the complexity of human experience.
To further use these techniques, I plan to set a specific daily writing and illustrating time during the early mornings in a comfortable space such as my recliner (I feel better when my legs are propped up) with my lap desk and laptop, iPad, soft blankets, Earl Grey tea, cold water with lemon, some apples or oranges and roasted nuts. Lighting some candles is nice, as well as a good playlist like Ophelia Wilde’s on YouTube for relaxation and mental clarity. Life can be a bit chaotic, and a soft environment helps to regulate my nervous system nowadays and brightens my mental clarity.
I will be using clustering at the start of a new story when I get stuck or frustrated, and when I find a new word that I love and want to do a deep dive into it! Also, clustering will help me to freely associate ideas and certain words creating more connections.
My goal remains to share stories that capture the essence of human experience. By using these methods, I aim to boost my productivity, creativity, and writing skills, blending intuitive and analytical aspects. In doing so, I want to create work that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human.
Much love! San
August 4, 2024
Creative Writing by Sally O’Reilly
Clustering: Empire State University Article
The Routine of Writers TIME Series on YouTube
