Day 17: Keeping That Butt in the Chair Everyday

I read somewhere that being creative is actually doing something with your imagination. A great imagination is nothing without the willingness to do the work to get the job done. Creative expression is the hard copy of your imagination.

Some days I find it really hard to put my butt in the chair and write. These days are very slow until I find my groove and the words start to flow as I write the details of the scene that plays out in my mind. When its hard I put on my music and let myself float away on my thoughts. When it is easy I'm at peace. When its hard, well, I really have to focus on the job at hand.

Without the time put in at the desk with pen in hand (yes, right now my process involves long hand rather than word processing) my imagination, other than brief periods of private enjoyment, would be utterly useless unless I produce the hard copy - the creative expression of my imagination. So how do you keep your butt in the chair? Discipline, discipline, and a large pot of coffee. I've written this blog seventeen times now. I am committed to writing it everyday. However on at least five days, its been a chore. That tells me that about 3 out of every ten days I really need to get down to business and focus. My discipline and committment to this project got me to the chair typing.

As a aside and building on the long hand comment, I find that a Opti-flow type pen is best for me when I write. I find the words don't flow if I use a basic ballpoint. Odd? Maybe just a habit that gets me to where I have to be to be productive, a trick I've made for myself. I'll look at this in later blogs. Oh, I write in 5 subject Hilroy spiral notebooks as well. Although, I did recently do some long hand on blank sheets of lose paper out of necessity. Down time without my book.

Enough digression. The bottom line is that if you want to express your imagination in a creative form you need discipline to put your butt in your chair and keep it there each day adding to your hard copy. And a nice pen never hurt either.