the decluttered creative: DON'T LOOK NOW: I'm writing

BEHIND THE BLOG

As writer, teacher, jewelry-maker and everyday woman, I'm fascinated by the ways that clarity and clutter shape creative lives. To me, the question of how much stuff we have is far less important than how much time, freedom and focus we can bring to our creative efforts. Sure, sometimes clutter manifests tangibly, as supplies, possessions, or mementos. But just as often it appears in less physical (but no less powerful) forms: as distractions, drains, obligations, expectations, judgments, and fears that leave us no time or energy to make art or even dream dreams. My first "DeClutter Your Creativity" classes were inspired by my own personal struggle to find the balance of abundance and emptiness needed to fuel my work...and to find it again, and again, and again as my life and work evolve. This blog is another way to dialogue on the subject: written with curiosity, compassion and (sometimes) comedy from the often befuddling place where creativity and clutter meet.

Friday, April 29, 2011

DON'T LOOK NOW: I'm writing

You might have noticed that I haven't been posting on my blogs lately.

For the first time in several years, I've been writing.

Writing regularly. Writing productively. Writing books. Or at least things that vaguely look like books, and will look more like books, I hope, as the year goes on.

I didn't post this earlier for two reasons.

First, like almost all creative people, I'm a worrier. I worried that to say that I'm writing my books again is to court writers' block.

Second, like almost all creative people, I'm grandiose. (Yup, grandiosity plus paranoia: the magical blend that makes us creatives special.) I thought that I could write on two of my own books, plus teach and consult, plus do that all daily stuff like pay bills ands wash dishes, plus blog.

Look at the gap between the date of this post and the date of my last one and you'll see how well that fantasy worked out.

And so today I'm bucking up, paring down, getting real, and becoming the true decluttering creative servant leader I should be.

Lovingly and with gratitude, I'm decluttering this blog until further notice. I may come back here; I may start a whole new blog based on my new work. Either way, I'll let you know.

Wish me luck...and when in doubt, clear everything you can off your own plate except the very juiciest morsels. Let nothing that is not both nutritious and delicious stay.

I'll be there in spirit with you. In the meantime, yours in the creative sisterhood,

Suz