Words and the writing of them are definitely one expression of creativity. There are countless numbers of others.
When you concentrate on one form of expression constantly, sooner or later, the well runs dry for a bit and it’s time to refill it.
This is one of the ways I try to keep the well from running dry. I refill it a few drops each day by playing with a more visual form of expression. I’m not a visual artist, but the point is the quality of the artwork. It’s the expression of my thoughts and creativity in a different medium.
Because this kind of expression is not my preferred method, it requires my mind to think differently and to stretch a bit. And often, that few minutes each day that I spend doing this exercise pays unexpected dividends. Solutions to problems – both in my life and my writing – surface. My enthusiasm for writing increases – in part because it seems so much easier than that few minutes!
The well still runs dry sometimes – I still draw out more than I put in each day, but it takes longer and the well refills more quickly. It’s a small thing in the overall picture, but it’s one that matters, both in the short term and long term.
I’d recommend a similar practice to anyone involved in creative endeavours, though everyone has to find the method that works for them. Another writer might find expression in music, or some other craft. Someone in the visual arts might find it in writing a line or two. A musician might find it a physical art, like sculpture or drawing.
Writers don’t work just with words. The good ones don’t, anyway. Their writing touches all the senses. The only way to do that is to experience those senses in a way that touches the writer themself, and that means stretching beyond just words.
This is one of the ways I stretch myself.
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