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I’m so excited! This weekend I completed my first assignment for Lynne Garner’s class on craft book writing. I’ve walked over that threshold of a new project and feel that I have a firm foundation that will carry me through. Of course, it helps that someone is mentoring my progress.
I’m one of those people who, for better or worse, tends to place everyone else’s needs first. Therefore, if I have any other “work” to do I will put my time into that before I ever spend time on my own projects. The consequences, of course, are that “my” projects are ignored. I hold my creative children hostage against other duties. When all my other work is done I will spend time with them…if there is still time.
Apparently I am not the only writer feeding her children with spare chunks of time. Last Saturday Elizabeth alluded to the same habit of imprisoning her projects in the desk drawer until she had time for them. It is curious…we become writers because we have a creative drive, a story to tell, a soul longing for expression—and then we push all of that aside to attend to what “really” needs to be accomplished.
Knowing that I have this tendency, I recently joined a Friday morning creativity group. Every Friday morning we meet via phone or Internet for a brief chat and then dedicate the next forty minutes to our separate creative endeavors. This “appointment” makes me schedule time for my own pursuits. I’ve found that setting these dates with my creative children enriches my relationship with them and with my soul. The children grow, my soul feels acknowledged, and I have a sense of peace and fulfillment.
If you are like me and have difficulty scheduling time for your own projects try setting regular dates with a friend. You can meet via phone or Internet and agree to spend the next half hour on your separate projects. Knowing that someone else is expecting you to show up might just be the extra nudge you need.
I’m one of those people who, for better or worse, tends to place everyone else’s needs first. Therefore, if I have any other “work” to do I will put my time into that before I ever spend time on my own projects. The consequences, of course, are that “my” projects are ignored. I hold my creative children hostage against other duties. When all my other work is done I will spend time with them…if there is still time.
Apparently I am not the only writer feeding her children with spare chunks of time. Last Saturday Elizabeth alluded to the same habit of imprisoning her projects in the desk drawer until she had time for them. It is curious…we become writers because we have a creative drive, a story to tell, a soul longing for expression—and then we push all of that aside to attend to what “really” needs to be accomplished.
Knowing that I have this tendency, I recently joined a Friday morning creativity group. Every Friday morning we meet via phone or Internet for a brief chat and then dedicate the next forty minutes to our separate creative endeavors. This “appointment” makes me schedule time for my own pursuits. I’ve found that setting these dates with my creative children enriches my relationship with them and with my soul. The children grow, my soul feels acknowledged, and I have a sense of peace and fulfillment.
If you are like me and have difficulty scheduling time for your own projects try setting regular dates with a friend. You can meet via phone or Internet and agree to spend the next half hour on your separate projects. Knowing that someone else is expecting you to show up might just be the extra nudge you need.
by Robyn Chausse
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3 Comments on Tend to Your {Creative} Children, last added: 9/13/2011
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In related news, I was trying to create a Warcraft III custom map / scenario that showed one of the Kaimira battles. There are several different types of golems, and they make excellent meks, and there are a number of different types of animals. (The world of Kaimira is set in a future in which humans, animals, and robots are at war with one another.)
Once I’m done, I’ll have a fun little Warcraft game in which the robots are occupying the city, the beasts are surrounding the city ready to invade, and the humans are in one little corner trying to survive in this 3-way battle, and then ultimately pushing back the robots and beasts and taking back the city.
I mentioned before that I had an opportunity to create some interesting appendix-type materials to put at the end of 
I too suffer from this affliction. Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try.
Thanks for this post, Robyn. Having regular meetings with a friend and working together (even if each of you have different projects) is such a nice idea. It's an added push when you share the same goal with someone. You can both get busy doing your own projects but you have a common goal; it's like working together but in a different way :)
Hi Linda and Shyxter,
Thank you for your comments!
I'm actually wondering if this same idea could help me finally get the garage organized!