I just returned from a few days at the beach with my daughters and granddaughters…it was delightful…not only did I get to spend time with my four favorite girls…I also got to leave my routines at home…well…honestly…I tried to pack them…but…thankfully…Bertha…snuck them out of the suitcase…
Now…don’t get me wrong…I quickly established new routines once I got there…but…they were fresh and different…and more creative…
I found myself…early in the morning and during naps…sitting on the balcony…overlooking the bay…writing with a pen and yellow legal pad…something I haven’t done in years…and…amazingly…the ideas were flowing…I couldn’t believe how much I got done…
Bertha…wasn’t surprised at all…because…as she says…routine…especially rigid routine…is a sure-fired way to stifle creativity…
And…she’s right…of course she’s right…she’s always right…at least that’s what she keeps telling me…
I hate to admit it…but…as much as I wanted to spend the time with the girls…I felt guilty…I have so much I need to get done this summer…all to some extent self-imposed…I might add…that part of me felt like I should have stayed home and worked…little did I know that I would get more work done…by going…
So…now…I’m home…back to my space…my time…and…there is a tug…return to the structure…it pulls me like a Siren’s song…and…yet…I’m inclined…to spend some time with a legal pad…and my new red pen…in my Granny’s rocker…overlooking my garden…Bertha says…if I’m going to have routines…they might as well be ones that I enjoy…
I think she’s definitely on to something with that one…
Jane
Jane, I am so glad you had a few days off. I just smiled when I read you took to writing the “old” fashioned way because that is the way I write. Then the editing happens when I type it into the computer, leave it for a couple of days then do a final edit on the computer. You can find all kinds of inspiration with your favotite pen and journal and a cup of coffee sitting in the park. 🙂
Thank you Betty. I was so freeing because I wasn’t doing a lot of editing as I went just letting it flow. I wrote most of the original Bertha just as you described. So I may do some more that way before I begin typing again. I even bought a new favorite pen because I literally wore the one I used for writing Bertha out…LOL!
I’m pleased to see the creative juices are flowing for you Jane!
Thank you Christy. I think it is so good to get out of the ‘rut’ every so often!
I agree with Bertha.
Peggy…I think Bertha has you on her payroll…LOL! Yes…I have to admit that I agree with her as well…shhh…don’t tell her! Thanks for stopping by!