Many people believe that their environment helps spur creativity–or not. So we writer types tend to have an array of candles, statues, glass/pewter objects, anything that makes us *feel* more inspired.

I have no doubt that these things do help, and the subconscious mind does believe in ritual and preparing itself for creative work – – but we can’t always have the perfect desk, at the perfect moment, with the perfect mindset.

Part of writing (or any task, really) is the dreaded 4-letter word part: WORK. That means that come rain or shine, mess or beautiful mini temple of a desk, we have to put in the time and work. Writers, that means write. Accountants, jostle those numbers. And so on and so forth.

Below is a pic of the many pewter fairies I have on my desk in my office. This helps me concentrate and go to magical places. What about you? What types of totems do you keep nearby to help keep the bad energy away?

Hi everyone!

Hope you’re all having a good week :) Things are a bit busy here, but overall things are good.

I’m guest blogging on creativity today, over at Lois Winston’s blog. What kinds of things does the mind do when it has no outlet for creative things? Creativity will always come out.

Check it out here!

Whether you’re a writer, musician, artist, or another creative type, there is that energy inside you that spurs you on. Tells you to keep creating, keep working, for your stories need to be told.

Some folks call it the muse, others call it blessings from a goddess, others call it inspiration or God. No matter what you label it, the key thing we all need to remember from time to time is to pamper it. Your brain requires new input (museums, colorful paintings, a great film, a lovely book, etc.) in order to get new and fresh ideas. If you’re constantly at the canvas or the keyboard, it’s tempting to keep working and never give yourself a break.

This is counterproductive. The key is to offer a balance. Yes, do the work. Do not give in to resistance. But you must feed your muse, too. It will make all the difference.

Ideas:

– Walk in the park (or just around the block if you’re in a big city)

– See a movie

– Go have a picnic outside

– Take another driving route from the one you usually do

– See paintings in a museum

– Visit Pinterest to see some colorful and inspiring photos.

Pamper your muse. She will pay you back tenfold.

Happy Thursday y’all :) Yes, it’s almost that time of the week. I’m having a special author guest on my blog Friday and Saturday – be sure to check back! For today, I’m guest blogging on Joanne’s blog about Symbols, what they mean to you in terms of creativity. Check it out here!

Hey all,

I’m blogging about the ups and downs of Indie Pubbing today on Meg’s blog. Check it out here.

The blog content got me to thinking that this would be good as a series, so I may write some more topics on the subject – stay tuned!

Elaine Calloway