there are days when diving into the creative process is as shocking as the water temperature here off the coast of southern california. not that i really know. i’ll admit that in the 15 years i’ve called SoCal home, i’ve been in the water twice. no deeper than my knees. as shocking as that sounds, it’s no more shocking than my own response to hearing people say, “no, the water’s warm! it’s like 68 degrees today.”
uh, thanks, but give me the warm waters of maui any day.
but i digress. my initial thought for this post came from finding myself at times in the creative zone for small pockets of time, and then wham! it’s gone.
for some odd reason, it reminded me of when i was a kid, and we spent many a summer vacation at “the lake.” by the lake, i mean lake brownwood. it was where the family had a home that was home to my maternal grandfather for years.
i spent a lot of time swimming, fishing, and basically overall relaxing in that lake. but one of the things i remembered the other day was how, out of nowhere, you’d find yourself either in a warm or cold spot depending on the overall temperature of the water. i remember wanting to stay in that zone because of the momentary relief it provided.
but just like some creative zones, it can all change in a matter of seconds. one minute you’re basking in the brilliance that is streaming from your head to your fingers and onto the page. the next…your a cold fish gasping for, well, water.
i’ve learned the trick is to swim as fast as you can when in the zone. and when not? keep tredding. something will break free.
or, if you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself in another lil pocket of creative warmth.
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