Finding the Perfect Balance

I recently spent a week at an Italian Villa-style home just outside of town. I was there as a house sitter, but it really was a sort of mini-vacation for me. The package included a small vineyard; wood heat; two ponds frequented by pheasant, deer, ducks and geese; two hyper bird dogs; and no cell phone reception. Now before anyone gasps in horror, know I wasn’t completely cut off from society. They had a working landline and wi-fi, though with the exception of spending a couple hours in the morning working on a contracted project I did exactly the opposite of what most writers would do in such a position — I didn’t write.

Instead I chose an activity I haven’t really engaged in for I don’t know how long. I read for the sole purpose of enjoyment. I picked up a book not to critique as a writer, but to experience as a reader. After I finished that book I selected another. As I read just for the sake of reading, I realized I’d forgotten how incredible it was to just sit still and be for a bit.

Late one night after placing more wood on the fire, I watched as moonbeams split snow clouds in half so I could enjoy the white silence without man-made illumination, and I pondered how I could allow myself to become so busy I’d failed to notice the little things — like a squirrel disappearing up a nearby sugar pine at midnight or the robin who welcomed the icy dawn with a lusty two-step.

The Pressure of Productivity

Many of my online friends are writers, so my newsfeeds are filled with updates and Tweets about coffee and word counts. In fact, if a random stranger were to look at our Timelines and Twitter Feeds they might wonder if we do anything but drink legal addictive stimulants, stare at a computer screen…and craft social media updates about our progress (or lack of it) and share links to other writer’s insights (or frustrations) about the realm of publishing.

Sometimes it’s encouraging to see what my writer friends are up to and I cheer them on; especially when I see their hard work pay off. Other times it’s discouraging; especially when I see their hard work pay off while I seem to be getting nowhere. It’s in those moments I most strongly consider calling myself a fraud and walking away from the entire business. But after scrolling through my newsfeed for another 20 minutes while pouting, clicking through a few more links, and try to decide if I really need to refill my cup again, I turn off my wireless and stare at my blank doc yet again willing the words to come.

It was during my retreat that the truth finally hit me. Yes, I really did need to fill my empty cup again. Not the cup that has a permanent seat to the right of my screen, the cup that sits in the hollow of my chest. The place where I feel the first tickle of excitement creep through my veins when I stumble across a new idea. The place where fear and dread plant their ice seeds when I think I’m about to fall on my face. It’s the spot inside me I dubbed my writer’s wellspring.

Finding a Creative Balance

I finally realized that in my rush for productivity I misplaced the sense of balance that comes from taking regular moments to just be still. It’s a concept that as someone who long ago decided to live her life as a follower of Christ, I should know to take better advantage of. During his ministry on earth, Jesus didn’t perform one miracle after another and move from town to town without rest. He made frequent stops to just be still. To get away from the crowds. To listen to what his Father had to say to him.

God himself didn’t create the universe in a rush and move on to the next project; He took the time to enjoy each step along the way to its completion. And when he finished on the sixth day, he took a vacation and spent time walking side by side with his new friends. (To this day I wonder if part of the reason He spent so much time relaxing in the Garden of Eden was partly because He knew there was a major war ahead.) The idea of just being still is an activity He continually invites us to join Him in, both in scripture and in nature. If you don’t believe me, spend an hour at a local park without any gadgets, you’ll be surprised how amazing you’ll feel afterwards!

It’s been proven more than once that when we regularly take the time to just relax our moments of productivity increase exponentially. Our mind is cleared of clutter. Our social meter is fully green (Yes, I play The Sims). And we can return to our writing with a renewed sense of excitement that has nothing to do with beating out our friends’ latest word count.

Now, I recognize that not everyone who reads The Writer’s Wellspring has the same spiritual beliefs that I do. However, I believe it’s impossible to take our personal worldviews out of our writing, and the need to find a balance between rest and work isn’t just a faith-based concept. When we rest we’re also reminded of the first rule of writing: Know your purpose. When we’re tired and forget our purpose in writing, our words don’t just ring false to us, something sounds off to our readers as well, even if they can’t put a finger on it.

If nothing else, my time disconnecting myself from my laptop taught me that is in moments of stillness I rediscover my connection with the Master Creator, find new purpose in my craft, and am reminded that while goals can be great markers to show me where I’ve been and where I’m going, I need to have balance. It’s the only way my writing time will be infused with a genuine passion to create instead of requiring yet another quad shot of caffeine to keep those fingers moving.

  

The Great Acorn War

No, this isn’t a forgotten squirrel stash…

it’s my secret ammo store so I can get back in action during the next skirmish.

I grew up in a small rural town in Southern Oregon. As a result, more often than not my only playmates were my four younger brothers and sisters. While that can sound kind of isolating to some, our modestly sized property afforded us with many enjoyable afternoons. In front of our home was a grove of trees where we would build thicket homes, behind us was a creek where we spent many a summer day swimming. Our bicycles were our noble steeds. Our radio flyer wagons became magic carpets. (Trust me, those things fly down hills and are incredibly fun to race!) And mom’s vegetable garden and fruit trees often were raided prior to a great quest.

Then came fall and the annual rain of acorns. For the life of me I can’t remember who threw the first “oak nut” as my cousin once called them. Perhaps it was dad just being funny and pegging one of us in the back. Maybe one of us got mad at the other and chucked the first thing that was handy but wouldn’t kill the person we were irked at. Whatever the inciting incident, it sparked a war that flames up again about this time of year. In fact, as I write this I’m flushed and out of breath from the first volley of the 2011 Great Acorn war. Over the years, my aim has improved and I hit my target (in this case my brother Matthew) more than I get pelted myself. Note to self: watch your back while exiting mom and dad’s house for the rest of the month.

The rules of engagement are quite simple: you have thirty seconds to gather as many acorns as you can fit into your hands and pockets, then run. You can duck around trees but you have to stay away from windows. Headshots are allowed, but the face is off limits. When you’re out of acorns, reload as fast as you can, but be aware — your opponent can still hit you if he or she still has ammo. And finally, the aim is to have fun, not to hurt anyone.

So what do acorn wars have to do with writing? First, stories like this aren’t unique to my family. By incorporating them into my fiction and non-fiction writing, I’m not only sharing a part of my life with my readers I’m inviting them to recall some of their own childhood experiences which in turn makes my story, real or imagined, more relatable. Second, getting up from the desk and acting like a kid for a little bit isn’t just fun, it helps work out tension in the body from sitting in one position for too long. Laughing, running, and enjoying nature allows us to forget about the scenes that have ground to a slow crawl. It enables us to clear our minds and look at problems from a different perspective. And it can spark a new idea to run with when you feel like you’ve exhausted all other avenues of thought.

So, put down the pen. Close the laptop. Grab a sweater with big pockets and ambush an unsuspecting loved one. Afterwards you can negotiate a ceasefire over a cup of spiced cider.  

A Writer’s Knapsack

Clothes for 3 days ✓

Toiletries ✓

Sun Block ✓

Bathing Suit/Beach Towel ✓

Hiking Shoes ✓

Moleskine Notebook ✓✓

Extra pens ✓

Spiral Notebook ✓

Journals ✓

A re-awakened thirst for adventure & inspiration ­✓✓✓

See you all next week!

Jen

The Writer’s Rest

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Gen 2:2

Whether it’s my personality, the society in which I’ve been raised (or more likely, a combination of the two),  I am always on the go. I have my full-time job as an editor, I volunteer as a youth leader at my church, I currently am in the middle of a couple extra free-lance editing jobs, and there is of course my own writing to keep up with. Fortunately I’m single, so I don’t have to add duties as a wife and mother to the list.

Before anyone gets the wrong impression, I enjoy the work I do as well as the extra-curricular activities I’m involved in. Frankly, I’d go insane if I weren’t keeping busy. Unfortunately, there are times I get so caught up in all the items on my to-do list that I forget the value of rest. Yet it’s obviously vital, because God doesn’t just talk about resting, he shows us its importance from the beginning.

God is God. He is never tired. Situations never overwhelm Him. And He never needs a vacation to recharge His batteries. In His infinite wisdom, however, He knew we would. He also knew that if left to our devices most of us would pack our schedules so tight we’d forget to step back and enjoy the fruit of our labor.

When I’m working, all I can see is everything that still needs to be done. My desk is covered in a bottomless stack of articles and stories, and my in-box rarely has less than a hundred messages waiting for a response. Before I know it I’m exhausted. Simple mistakes that could easily have been caught and corrected had I been rested come back to haunt me in the form of permanent print. My attitude begins to sour. The work I was previously thankful for risks becoming an obligation. And there is nothing that irritates me more than seeing or hearing other people having fun while I’m chained to my desk.

I’ve also noticed that when I push myself too hard for too long I tend to get sick and my forced vacation is spent on the couch chewing myself out for not taking better care of myself.

About a year ago I made a commitment to take one day a week to slow down a bit. I don’t go into the office or check my e-mail. Very rarely do I write anything other than a couple quick notes lest I forget something important. Most importantly, I refuse to let myself think of the piles waiting for me when I get back to work. I’ve discovered when I keep this promise to myself I’m less tired and cranky, and I usually end up with more to write about when it’s time to sit down at the keyboard again.

By engaging in life I see, I feel, I hear, I smell, and I taste God’s beauty. All those experiences are then filed away for future reference. I build memories, forge stronger relationships with real people, and I can look back over my week to see all that I accomplished, knowing I did my work to the best of my ability.

Perhaps you’re like me and find yourself juggling too many projects at once. Or maybe you’re far wiser and make sure you take time for yourself on a regular basis. How do keep from getting burned out? And how does it affect your outlook on your writing? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

–Jen