Find Your Groove
For me, the roller coaster never ends. One week, I feel unconquerable with my writing and photography; the next, I am wondering why I ever thought I could do any of this stuff.
The peaks and valleys used to be much more extreme in my twenties and thirties, where I would stop writing entirely, convinced that what I had to say didn’t matter or have any real impact on anybody, now or in the future. I would fall into the past, yearning for times that were long gone, or wishing for moments yet to come.
It wasn’t until I started remaining in the Present that I began to see those peaks and valleys turn into rolling pastures of modest ups-and-downs along the way.
This pasture of presence is where I find the grooves that keep me focused, keep me producing products to share with a larger community and, if nothing else, document a slice of this life through my eyes.
How do we stay in the present, then, to keep in the groove of creativity?
Last week, I felt the tug to abandon my writing and photography for a while. Too much is on my plate these days, I rationalized. Plus, the kids’ schedules are getting crazy with gymnastics competitions and horse shows. My weekends are getting booked up with car trips to and from arenas throughout the mid-Atlantic region, tromping all over my time for creative endeavors. Just hang it up for now, I tried to convince myself; your time awaits next April.
That’s where my mind wanted to take me, at least. And, in the past, I listened and obeyed. No writing for you. Life is just too busy.
But is it really?
I now know what I need to do to stay in that groove. I need to make opportunities happen and draw from them every creative ounce of inspiration that I can muster. It’s like getting a B-12 boost for the muse. We can’t sit around, leaning against some tree waiting for some inspiration to present itself (although this is something I enjoy doing whenever possible); we need to get out there, seize the creative moments that are there to be discovered in each experience we make happen.
I did that last weekend. Knowing that I have several consecutive weekends packed with familial responsibilities, I stole some time with an old friend and headed to the Gettysburg National Military Park about 90 minutes away. We left well before sunrise to get some photos of the sun rising over the battlefields.
The trip took us 4 hours, beginning to end. The experience provided me with months of material for writing and photography. I’ll be able to get through those car rides to those arenas with no angst, no peaks and valleys, no longing for the past or the future. I’ve fed my muse all it needs to stay in the groove until I feel the need for another boost. I don’t know if that will be one week, three, or maybe even a month. But when it comes along, I know exactly what I need to do.
What are you doing to stay in the groove?
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