Opinion

Weed-Whacking the Myths of Creativity

We've all got them. These sneaky beliefs that lurk out at the edges of our hearts, quiet and docile, until we go to pick up the paintbrush or pen. Then they come in unison to the forefront, like some dandelion puffball floating in front of our eyes, obscuring our dreams.

The real pain is that myths are tenacious like weeds. Sure, you pull off the heads and throw them into the compost pile. You get through it and have fun and make something to be proud about. But when these fears grow up again in spring and fall, you need a handy myth Weed-Whacker to get back on track.

So go ahead and put on your long pants and coat (Weed-Whacking is messy), and we'll go walking down the garden path.

The Morning Glory Myth

I can only write in the morning. And I need my latte by my side and my special pen and it has to be perfectly quiet.

OK, for me, I have to have a special college-ruled paper. But establishing a ritual is great! Just make sure that it doesn't become too complicated and provide reasons not to create. Remember, routines need to change to fit your life. Different things will work at different times.

The Blackberry Brambles Myth

Creating should come easily and naturally.

For some people, gorgeous descriptions and catchy dialogue just drip out of their pens; but the rest of us have to take classes, study with a mentor, and keep working at it until we have something as strong as talent. Craft and determination are great friends of creativity.

The Chickweed Myth

I don't have enough time; I'm spreading myself all over.

Change the scale of things. Write one three-line haiku a day about the weather and by the end of the year you'll have a book of poems. Write a scene each lunch hour, and at week's end, you've got a chapter. You're going to find yourself at the end of the week anyway. Allow yourself to do the tiniest little thing toward your project in a rhythm. One photo, one sentence, one chapter: it all adds up.

The Rainbow Thistle Myth

I must have an idea that has never been done before.

Accept that there are only seven stories in the world and they've all been done before. You don't have to create a whole new species of plants to make a garden. You just have to plant it in hues to reflect the way you envision it. Start with a common point and twist and distort it into something new.

The Burr Myth

I have no self-discipline.

Neither do I. So, I've got two writing groups and a novel buddy to keep me on track. They expect me to bring something to group once a week. And it works! Taking a class, entering a contest, sticking with a group, and setting deadlines are the right kind of pressure for us slacker-types.

The Dandelion Myth

I've only got one idea.

One idea is all you need. Go deeply into it and watch what happens. Next thing you know, other ideas and temptations will pop into your mind. Write them down and stick them in a jar. But don't let them distract you. As you follow your one idea, it will flower and turn into a billion possibilities you never would have thought of without tending that one single seed of an idea.

Recommended books for myth-whacking: The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron; Creating a Life Worth Living, by Carol Lloyd; Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott.

Now go to it!

Freelance writer Janis Wildy spends her time creating her second novel and weeding her garden. She was recently published in BUST magazine. E-mail Janis at wildy@mindspring.com