Memoir Midpoint Brain-Freeze - Acceptance and the Creative Process
For two years, I've been toiling away at my third book — a memoir. I have a long draft that I'm wrangling, shaving, plucking and cutting into a series of hopefully sensible, temporally correct chapters. This isn't my first 'rodeo,' so when I got to chapter thirty-three — and froze — I had a pretty good idea what was going on: I was caught in knots at the mid-point. Events swirled around me, from my own memory — yet I could no longer pin these snakes down onto the page in lines that aligned in time.
So I realised it was time to stop. There's no resisting it. You know what they say: if you have to force it, it's probably s#@t. So the remedy is: acceptance. Go with it. The creative process is a moody beast that must be fed and nourished correctly. It eats brain food, and is picky. One day it likes to eat memoir, swearing it wants to eat memoir every single day. Then suddenly, without warning, the brain wants to eat an episode of Big Bang Theory; or a copy of the latest Writers' Victoria magazine, or my current read: Turns Out I'm Fine, by Judith Lucy. Although these activities may sound like procrastination, I know better.
Art goes in, art goes out. My output of words needs to be balanced with my input; which means consuming books, articles, movies, music, podcasts and docos. This is just as valuable to my work as the work itself. Adding new energy to my mind in the form of new art, churns up the creative juices, until eventually I'm bursting to create again. I trust in the process now; inevitably, a creator will create.
Besides, there's always something to do. There's always that thing I neglect when I'm in book writing mode — usually this blog. So here I am! I've been playing with all three of my websites, updating them to reflect what I'll be up to for the rest of 2021. Yesterday, Melbourne went back into lockdown. This means I'm stuck at home, and should get lots more done over the next week.
In summary, I'm still teaching Majickal Bellydance; and am excited to be expanding into some new Yarra Valley venues.
Also, following the success of the 2-hour workshop, I'll be presenting my complete Majickal Tarot Course; at Seville Community House from July - September 2021.
Online Courses are in the developmental stages. Subscribe by email so you don't miss out on any of these Majickal activities. Scroll down for more info...
Most exciting of all, I've been to the printers to collect two boxes of my book, Multidimensional Meditation — the re-print. I do love the smell of new books. See the drop-down menu above to order your copy. For secure payment you will be sent to a checkout at the PayPal website. I will send your copy anywhere in Australia when PayPal email me to advise of your order.
Thanks for reading.
Stay safe and well. X
Leanne Margaret © 2021
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