A creativity colleague of mine shared insights for New Year writing that I thought were great.  Here’s what she said.

Ease Back into the Flow
You may be filled with inspiration and ideas for your most creative 2010. Or you may have no clue what you really want to do, and need some time to make a graceful transition from party mode to work mode.
 
One step at a time
Here’s a course of action that will allow you to ease back gently into your creative flow.

Give yourself a break. Don’t feel that you need to have everything figured out and planned for the New Year. I let myself off the hook for having to have a brilliant plan for the entire year mapped out. I have the first steps, and that’s enough to get me back in the swing of things.

What’s done is done. Let the eggnog, the holiday cookies and the times you blew everything off float away on the ether of the past. You enjoyed it then and now you may be ready to return to a humbler lifestyle. Regrets seem to add weight to the spirit, so let go of any guilt about overindulging.

Relish the break. Notice how good the time you spent relaxing feels. We need slack time to regenerate our creativity.

Revive your practices that slipped away during the holidays. Gently bring back your healthy habits. I’m easing back onto the yoga mat, relishing my daily walks and looking forward to more kickboxing classes.

Take it easy. Let your return be as slow as it needs to, but be firm with yourself about getting back to your writing and creative pursuits. Build up slowly, if needed. Start with brief (10 minute) free writes. Take time to clear away any clutter that has accumulated. Both practices can help you to resume your creative path.

Connect to the love. What do you love about your writing practice, your exercise regime? You may take a few moments to jot down what you love about it. If you have already done this writing, take it out and revisit your passion.

Refresh your faith. You will get back on the exercise treadmill. You will revive your love for green vegetables. You will come back to your writing practice.

Set up structures that help. There’s an overabundance of things to do, and simple structures can help. Make dates with your writing buddies, schedule time into your calendar, and break down projects into simple task lists. I like the to dodlist’s simple method that helps tackle projects one action step at a time.

What helps you transition from holiday time to the new year? Drop a comment on the Original Impulse blog, or email me.
 
Copyright 2009 Cynthia Morris. Cynthia coaches creative people to confidence and completion and inspires life as a creative adventure. Visit www.originalimpulse.com to get an infusion of inspiration for your art, writing and life.

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