How To Keep Writing

If the last few years have taught me anything about writing, it’s that life doesn’t give a fuck about our craft.

The stresses never lessen. The horrors of politics, religion, society, economics, and ecology always worsen. And even when things our going well in our personal lives, there’s no controlling how much inspiration and motivation we have, or how long we have it. Often, even when we’re going our best to nurture our creativity, the littlest things can be enough to distract us. Honestly, given the things we “have to do” everyday (work, education, social life, chores around the house, and rest), it’s a wonder any of us can create at all.

My M.F.A. focused a lot on the importance of developing a consistent writing practice, and while I do believe this is an important step, I think it’s really just the first step in a much longer and more complicated journey towards the act of creating. I know for myself, just “maintaining” a writing practice really isn’t enough for me to feel energized to write. I need other things, like mentally stimulating reading time, hours out in nature/the fresh air, and days I can take off from writing. Hell, even things like drinking enough water and getting in a little bit of exercise are helpful to boost creativity. I can keep to my writing practice, but without these other things, I will not be as invested in what I’m writing.

So here is how I keep writing, even when the world around me continues to fall apart:

I always make time for reading.

The great thing about being in a graduate program for literature is that I am always reading something. I am always depositing little nuggets of new information into my brain, storing them away until I have need of them. I’m finished with my semester now, but next semester I will be reading ten different books across two classes (which is about two books a month), not including the individual pieces and excerpts provided by the instructors. But you don’t have to be in school to study literature. A lot of programs have their reading lists available online, and some writing websites have assignment descriptions if you want to work on your critical writing, too. Just the act of reading widely helps to develop creativity and critical thinking.

I’m also always reading a book with my sister/best friend, and this leads to some absolutely amazing (and hilarious) conversations, which, in turn, lead to ideas for things to write/study more. We finished Mansfield Park (for the second time reading it together), and are now reading A Room With a View by E.M. Forster. It’s a book I’ve had on my To Be Read list for years, but have never actually picked up and read. I highly recommend setting up a book group, or even just a friend to read with you. It helps keeps me on track, and gives me a chance to read outside of school.

Plus, I am also always working my way through a book of poetry. Maybe it’s a chapbook; maybe it’s an anthology; maybe it’s a whole collection of a poet’s work. Regardless, I am always reading poetry because it inspires me to write poetry. Whatever it is you want to write, read that as much as possible. Don’t waste time reading books you don’t have any interest in.
I always make time for nature.

This one is vitally important to my own creative practice. I absolutely need to spend time out of doors. Sometimes I hike, but mostly I need to just sit and breathe in the trees, the flowers, the water, the grass. In the autumn, winter, and spring months when there are rare days of cold sunshine, I’ll bundle up in layers and take myself out to the woods, build a campfire, and just be. This is vital because it helps me disconnect from my phone, the tv, and the other external things that get in the way of my creative focus. A lot of the places I go don’t have cell service either, so I really can just be in the moment, in a specific place, with my own creative energy.

It’s almost always nature that gives me a glimpse into my most honest self. Trauma builds defense mechanisms, and those, when left untended, can build barriers. Healing helps take those barriers down, but it’s those intimate moments with nature that really give me insight to the wounds that need the most care. Sometimes I’m not ready to confront those wounds, and the trees help me care for them tenderly while I’m building the strength to face them. Sometimes I’m holding onto something too strongly to see that it’s continuing to inflict pain, and the quiet movement of a river helps me recognize when I need to let go.

And these things always circle back to my writing because writing is one way that I process my life, my loves, and my losses.
I’m learning to make time for rest.

I need off-days from writing, too, otherwise I get burnt out and overwhelmed. A life of creative writing isn’t sustainable if there’s no off switch. This weekend, I did a lot of reading, but no writing. Mother’s Day is always a horrible “holiday” for me, so I spent all of Saturday in bed. I even cancelled a facial I had because, while getting the facial is a form of rest, I knew what I needed was a day of doing basically nothing. And that’s what I allowed myself to do. Nothing. I slept. I ate junk food. I spent time with my cat and dog. And I watched Bob’s Burgers on an endless loop.

I could have taken the depression I was overwhelmed by and used it to write a poem about why Mother’s Day is a horrible day for me. In some ways, that might have made me feel a bit better. I could have ignored the depression and thrown myself into an enormous amount of cleaning or meal prep. I could have gotten myself outside and distracted by the beauty of Oregon’s early spring days. None of these would have been “wrong,” but what I felt I needed was a day to switch everything off. And it was glorious, ya’ll. Even with all the bullshit going on with Roe v Wade going on, and with my miscarriages being distinctly relevant to that topic, I built a space of safety for myself.

And I know that it will pay off.

See, the way to keep writing is, at times, to stop the writing process for a brief period. Even for those of us who use writing as a means of processing the things that happen in our lives, there can come a time when what we need is not to create, but simply to listen. Especially now, when the social and political climate around us is so heavy, it can be hard to just sit and listen. The need to always be active, to always be speaking, to always be moving is both a blessing and a curse.

Yes, sometimes what we need is to push ourselves and write, even when we don’t feel like it. But just as important is recognizing when we simply need to stop. So if you’re hitting a slump and none of your usual tricks are helping you get out of it, try switching off. Disconnect. Don’t doom scroll through social media. If you need a day in bed, take a day in bed. If you need to sleep in, then sleep in. If you need a day in nature, take a day and go to a park. It’s great when nature inspires us, but I think too often, writers and artists feel like everything has to lead to a new poem or a new painting.

You can enjoy nature for the sake of nature itself. It doesn’t have to lead back to writing.

Sometimes, to keep writing for the long term, we have to stop writing in the short term.