...Both Are Needed

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was soooooo happy to be living by myself and staying quiet, giving myself the giant exhale of a routine. Doing the same thing every day felt like a relief, like a big hug for this introvert. But after a year of that, I was antsy, anxious, and cranky. Bored, touch-deprived, and uninspired. So I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Connecticut and help my brother pack and move across the country. (Thank you to the scientists who created the vaccines, and to those who coordinated the administering of them.) 

And let me tell you, that vacation did wonders. Being WITH my brother—even to swap deadly [aka dumb] puns or eat oatmeal together in the morning (both of us half-distracted on our cell phones), driving many hours in silence, enduring heat and irritability—was amazing. I needed to give myself some connection and stimulation. 

And we saw/experienced some amazing stuff:

*lines of cicada holes in the ground, showing not only where they burrowed up from the roots of trees…but where the roots of trees travel underground!! (Washington DC)

*French Broad Chocolates, a chocolate factory run by my brother’s friend (Asheville, NC)

*surprisingly beautiful rolling hills and gentle farmlands with hues of olive and lavender (Eastern Oklahoma—who knew OK was so pretty?)

*the best dadgum burger I’ve ever had! (Flagstaff, AZ)

Travel felt like a wind after a muggy day, or a good rain after a drought—it opened my eyes and heart and reminded me my life is just one little way of living, and there are so many people out there who are kind and doing amazing things. My pre-writing bag is now full.  

But I didn’t write much while I traveled. I thought I would, but instead I spent my extra creative energy figuring out how to pack hangers [pro-tip: tape them together and don’t even try to pack them], where the nearest KOA was, or how to repack the car for the next day. 

When I got home I felt concerned I would fall back into the feelings of burnout and boredom if I fell back into my daily routines but, being a creature who loves ritual, I slipped right back into my schedule: brushing teeth, stretching (not quite enough), fifteen minutes of meditation, a few uber-productive hours of work, lunch and a walk, a few not-so productive hours of work, some time with friends, dinner, dishes, writing for an hour, brushing teeth, ten minutes of meditation, thirty minutes of reading, and lights out. 

WAIT!!! Did you catch that? I was actually writing in there!

Ok, so what am I getting at here? Well, besides the fact that I love my brother and want to spend ever more time with him, I’ve discovered that BOTH novelty and routine, when working together, CREATE the circumstances for generating material. And what matters is to toggle back and forth between them.

I wish I had figured this out during the pandemic. I wish I had been more creative about getting out and doing novel things, even if it was a new hiking trail or driving a different route down to Anacortes just for the fun of it. Oh well, my lesson came later, and now I know. 

So, if you are stuck in your writing, ask yourself: Have I been doing this routine too long? Do I need to get out and experience something new? Or is it time to gift myself some predictability?

It doesn’t have to be a giant road trip (though those are awesome); but if the novelty is smaller amounts, then the structure needs to be smaller amounts, too. They balance each other out. Find your own balance; be honest with yourself and follow through! 

Do it, in service to your writing and to your self! The world is ready to receive YOUR voice, your perspective, your humor and wisdom.

Xo

Anni