Creative Energy

Last night, I hung out with a friend I made when I was in film production. Every time I hang out with her, I am inspired to create. I feel the same way after a writing workshop, meeting, or panel I attend. Creative people omit energy that can’t be described. I know because I feel it and maybe I omit the same thing too.

On Monday night, I met two women that told me I look like a writer. I’ve never heard me described as a “writer” before. I don’t know what a writer looks like but I was filled with pride and glee. I’ve awakened my creative energy and I’m no longer shying away from my passion. Maybe it’s because I see writing/creativity/imagination in everything now more than ever, and am writing everything down that those women saw that in me? Whatever the case may be, I was proud to be seen as a writer.

Writing is such a solitary activity, ya know? So when you connect with a fellow creative person, you feed off of each other’s energy and push each other to keep going.

I look forward to making the time to create with my friend and other fellow writers. There’s nothing like a collective artistic force banding together and making art.

Writing Practices

Since I have taken classes at Gotham Writer’s Workshop, I receive emails with helpful writing advice from writers as well as alumni news from the program. Recently, I read an email containing writing practices from Neil Gaiman. I read his advice and realized I had to share with my writing community. Enjoy.

Neil Gaiman has become so popular he is often considered the “rock star” of the literary world. He trades mostly in science fiction and fantasy in a variety of forms—novels, children’s books, graphic novels, comic books, and film. Among his trend-setting works: Coraline, The Graveyard Book and The Sandman series. He takes readers, of all ages, to the very edge of imagination.

8 Good Writing Practices

1. Write.
2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
7. Laugh at your own jokes.
8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.

John Mayer

This past February I went to watch John Mayer perform at Madison Square Garden – after the Playboy article.

My opinion of Mr. Mayer was, “he’s not a very humble person,” due to his reputation in the media. After the article was published (tickets already bought), I thought less of him but still enjoyed his music. Although I felt dirty and ashamed for still liking his music.

The day of the concert came and I had a blast. John is a fantastic guitar player – hands down – no one can refute his talent. I danced, sang along to his songs and enjoyed every single minute.

After the concert, I became obsessed with his music!

The music spoke to me on so many levels I couldn’t explain. I tried to pin down why I listened to John Mayer daily and what his music did to me. I saw him as an artist; he crafted songs the way writers crafted their stories. He starts on one note or chorus and the rest flows from there. Writers may start with a paragraph, idea, or theme and go from there.

I know this isn’t new; artists are inspired differently and they each have their process. Listening to him talk about crafting songs during music specials like VH1’s Storytellers made me relate to him positively that all the “baggage” about him fell away like leaves off a tree, forgotten and washed away into the gutter. I respected him as a fellow artist and I saw his creativity.

Being a person that is never satisfied with a work of art just because someone says, “It’s great!” I do have some criticisms of his music. Aesthetically, I enjoy listening to all of his songs. Lyrically, some songs, specifically on Heavier Things, don’t stand out and fall flat. However, I cannot deny the appeal of hearing this album lying in bed or writing.

When I put his music on to write, I fly through my piece. There are times I get caught up in a favorite song (happens often) and then I get back on track.

His music empowers me; the creativity recorded pushes me to create and do my own thing. I have other artists I listen to when I write like The Postal Service, Radiohead, Dido, Zero 7, Bishop Allen, Bjork and anyone mellowing but John takes the cake.

I don’t know the man, follow him on Twitter, or wish to meet him; I want him to keep creating music and his mouth shut!