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creative tank

Day Fourteen: Filling My Creative Tank

Residencies help me fill my creative tank. Today, a Portuguese beach and cleansed me body, soul, and spirit. How do you fill your creative tank?

Daily Word Count: 0
Cumulative Words Written: 29,598
Total Words Discarded: 4,700
Total Chapters Drafted: 12
Time Spent Writing Today: 0 hours

Humanity could benefit from more time filling our creative tank. Today, I did my part.

Nothing fills the creative tank like a jaunt to the sea.

The breeze clears brain cement. Sunshine and blue sky represent possibility. Breathtaking vistas remind me to be thankful for what I’ve made, what’s yet to be created.

But I especially enjoyed communing with Janet Haslett, our resident artist from Sydney. I drove us to the coast to catch up with her husband Bruce, who loves walking. While Janet is holed up here, Bruce has been walking a Portuguese coastal route, sometimes up to 17 miles per day.

creative tank

Naturally, Bruce and I had much to discuss. 🙂

Janet and I compared notes on creating. No matter where I go in the world, it’s the same. People think you’re a real creator if they’ve heard of you. Or if you’re famous. Or if you sell things. And/or if somebody who’s SOMEBODY endorses your work.

We’ve both heard the question: When you’re going to hang it up and get a real job? And this one: How long are you going to give this before you move on to something more profitable? Also: I mean, do you honestly expect people to buy your art or read your work?

The past couple of years, I shed a lot of tears over this reality. I bludgeoned people to understand where I was, and I believed the lie that I’m only a success based on the measures above. Comfort, even peace, happens when we realize we’re not alone.

Epiphanies happen when we fill our creative tank.

Guess what? I don’t care whether anyone reads this book I’m creating. If MTM likes it, I’ll be pleased and proud. I’m tackling some very hard subjects, delving into my past, and making statements about where we are right now. In some ways, I’m probably nuking a bridge. Whatever.

creative tank

This story is for me.

It’s empowering to feel that way, to be around people who get it, to cleanse body, soul and spirit in the clear, ancient sea.

How do you fill your creative tank?

To follow my residency at Buinho Creative Hub from the beginning, CLICK HERE and read forward.

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6 Comments

  1. I spend as much time outdoors as I can. I read. I walk. I hang with the best dog in the history of dogs. I enjoy my lengthy marriage. I try not to panic when I realize nobody will seek my stuff to read. I understand that I’m an old obscure guy with a gift for storytelling. Accepting that keeps me humble, which is a very good thing.

  2. Andra, I thought of you when I read this article in She Writes by Elizabeth Gilbert
    Elizabeth Gilbert on Passion, Curiosity and Self-Forgiveness. Nothing new but similar to what you have been sharing with us while on your residency. (I couldn’t figure how to share the link!)

  3. I think some wonderful things are happening within you beyond the benefits of writing. You sound strong and at peace, and that’s wonderful. This was a lovey post, Andra. It’s nice to learn more about some of the people you’re getting to know!

    I know what empowers me is being needed and valued within my family, and anything I do in service of them, floats my boat. 🙂 I have many creative interests, and sharing with them is my joy. We have to know who we are to better fuel our passions.

    1. Author

      I made some decisions before I got here. I have learned what to expect. It’s always helpful to hear that anyone who tries to create something meaningful struggles with the same stuff.

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