Creativity Will Blossom With a Little Dormancy
Ahh, spring! The trees here in Louisville are exploding with hearty green leaves and picturesque pink blossoms. Just this morning, my husband came home from a walk and told me to step outside and check out our yard. Overnight, it seems, the sparsely leafed trees in front of our house burst forth an abundance of fresh green gorgeousness. If those trees could talk, I bet they’d say, “Ta-da!”, and the leaves would chime in with jazz hands.
All this fresh growth in my surroundings has inspired me to give my writing life a chance to go dormant for a spell so that it, too, can blossom. I’ve been finding myself in a stark state of creative weariness lately. After several years of almost non-stop projects, my creative juices need a chance to rest and regroup. I think some intentional time off will do them wonders. It will do me wonders. How about you?
I’m writing this post on a Thursday afternoon, and this week so far, I have attacked the projects on my daily to-do list, including writing a client’s memoir, evaluating another client’s self-help manuscript (previously written by someone else), and writing up a project plan for her rewrite. I’ve also written ten discussion questions to include in my historical fiction novel (see Jan 4) and a long bio, short bio, and blurb for my back cover. I’ve read parts of my manuscript yet again and made more final tweaks. I’ve read about writing. I’ve crafted documents for our basement apartment that we are renting out for a few months to a travel nurse. I’ve written approximately twenty emails and too many texts. I’ve handwritten two thank you cards. I’m writing this blog post right this very minute. I’ll edit our ministry newsletter tomorrow and work on two aforementioned projects. I also plan on writing a birthday love letter to my son turning 27 this month.
That is my writing life. And, of course, there’s more to my life than writing. "Stuff” is happening in my heart, mind, and in my home, ministry and emotions. You know what I’m talkin’ about.
I love writing–I do–but I need to give it a rest. I'm tired, and my hands hurt. My back aches, and my brain is fuzzy. (Also, my hair is frizzy, but it has nothing to do with writing. I just threw that in because I feel a bit whiny at the moment.)
So, to provide myself with a needed time of refreshment–a time of rest beyond my regular Sabbath–I’ve marked my calendar and made plans to visit a local monastery next week, letting my writing go dormant for a day. I will “be” and not “do.” I will not write. I will not hold my cell phone or sit down at my computer. Instead, I will silently walk the woodlands at the abbey, and spend time in reflection and prayer. I will notice my surroundings. I’ll munch on an apple and a chunk of cheese, maybe some cucumber slices. I’ll breathe deep.
I know that God is my source of strength and inspiration. He is the ultimate Recharger and Refresher. He can meet my needs without me taking an extra “Sabbath” day off, but I have a real sense he’s calling me to this. The Lord will meet me in a special way on my “Dormant Day” and minister to me, no doubt, because I am his, and he is faithful. I see his wildly creative works in nature and know that dormancy is his scientific design. I can trust him.
Being dormant for a time can be productive. I read on the National Library of Medicine site that “Seed dormancy allows seeds to overcome periods that are unfavorable…” Creativity is like a seed. I will flourish better in my writing (and in life) by taking a little time to let it go dormant.
I will write about my time at the monastery in my next post. In the meantime, I encourage you to go dormant if you feel the need. It’s ok. Really. Step away from your project, and take a break from your tasks. You don’t have to go on a European river cruise for a week to be recharged (although I did that once, and it was amazing). Take at least one intentional day, afternoon, or hour. It may do you and your work wonders, helping your seeds of creativity to blossom.