A Chat with Creativity
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Before the hurricane last month (weāre still waiting on drinkable water, but weāre okay and lucky outside of the surreal nature of things like regularly driving past or encountering destroyed businesses, homes and lives), I was going to talk with you about creativity. Specifically, how Iāve been at odds with it and beating myself up about it.Ā
Remember how I left my full time job in May? That needed to happen for mental health (because of that particular job and not because of it being a full time job) and I do not regret it. I went part time, which in theory, meant I had more time to write. And I did for a while. Then I started to feel the pressure I put on myself and my creativity to produce income more regularly. Some people would react by creating prolifically in hopes of getting something to stick and sell.Ā
Not me. I froze.
I felt like a failure, like Iād made the wrong choice.
Making little art with nature bringing me joy
As part of some work Iāve been trying to do on myself, I borrowed Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert in September, and OH BOY, did it resonate. Itās about creativity and working with it, instead of against it, and not holding it responsible for so much. Being kinder to it. That book is what made me realize why Iād been a bit frozen with writing, outside of tending to deadlines and things already in progress: I was putting pressure on my creativity to help me survive and I had all this extra time, what was I even doing with it? Why was I wasting this opportunity of time? Was I even a writer? Would I look dumb if I changed my mind and looked for full time work?
Never mind that I have written 15 books while I had a full time job and juggled all my responsibilities quite well, to be honest.
So Iāve been on a bit of a journey of forgiveness with myself and my creativity, trying to build that trust back up between both of us. Well, I started that journey and then Hurricane Helene came and I feel like most of October disappeared and then I went through a phase of feeling like a failure again because I havenāt worked on my middle grade draft in well over a month. Itās a circle. One day Iāll give myself grace before the āfeeling like a failureā part comes in; thatās why Iām doing the work. Iām back at things now, though - mostly tending to proof pages for Thrill Ride, some edits for a book I mention below, and doing business of writing stuff.
I am also in search of a full time job where I can use my many talents (strategy, editorial/content planning, SEO, vendor management, project management, brand and voice!), and I am not above asking for help if any of you know of anything where you work. My creativity and I work better as a team when I have a full time job, period, and Iām excited for what I might discover in this next stage of the journey.
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In case you didnāt see, I revealed the cover for Thrill Ride! Look at Charlotte and Gregory, those adorable nerds. I love the colors, love the vibes, love the fonts! Kris Noble at Kensington created this beauty. Thrill Ride is available for preorder wherever you buy books! I will have a preorder link for signed copies from Malapropās here in Asheville soon and Iām going to have a very cool preorder incentive. Preorders count for a lot so I will be talking about them a lot in coming months.
And some other news thatās out in the world but that I havenāt shouted about yetā¦
I wrote The Art of Star Wars: Visions Volume 2!! I had the most excellent time speaking with teams from animation studios around the globe. I canāt wait for yāall to see their gorgeous concepts. More details here!
Also! Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, my first ever published book, is getting an Updated and Expanded Edition! So many of yāall have asked me about updates over the years and Iām stoked to finally say itās happening. You can learn about some of the new characters here!
Otherwise Iām setting myself an aggressive goal to finish my middle-grade fantasy draft by mid-November because around then, I need to figure out Thrill Ride #2.
šŗ what I'm watching šŗ
Agatha All Along
Yāall. I cannot get over how delightful the Agatha Harkness spinoff is. If you like witchy vibes, magic, tarot, and can appreciate a woman who chases power without remorse, watch it. Youāll pick on some extra bits if youāre a MCU fan, but I donāt think you need that knowledge to appreciate how much Joe Locke, Kathryn Hahn, and the entire cast slay in this series. Even though the finale only aired last night, I could rewatch it immediately.
The Wild Robot
Brag time: my super talent husband spend a few years working on The Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders. Itās a visually stunning movie about the power of kindness, with a buttload of adorable animals and talented voice performances. Itās in theaters and available to rent or buy digitally at home. Please watch it. Prepare for emotions. Itās so, so wonderful.
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Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
If youāre looking for a cozy and ghostly romance, please pick up Haunted Ever After. Itās set in a hecking cute Florida tourist town, Boneyard Key, where resident ghosts are part of every day life. The story is warm and welcoming towards spirits and the romance between Cassie and Nick is so sweet. Note: it will make you want and/or crave banana bread.
Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones
So, we can all agree (I hope) that Jim Henson rules. This dude just tried the damn thing, whatever the damn thing was. Iām familiar with a lot of his work and absolutely obsessed with some of it, but what I didnāt fully know from documentaries and general Henson info is how kind and positive he was (see the quote below). This book really resonated with me, not only because of his relentless creativity and experimentation, but because of how he treated others.
š³ something whalesome š³
I like wholesome things and the whale emoji is cute so: whalesome!
Some kestrel chicks leaving their nest box! Kestrels are gorgeous birds, even in their floofy baby stage!
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Here Iāll share tips and tricks that are helping me write, imagine and/or stay productive.
Before Hurricane Helene, two things were getting me through daily writing sessions: stickers and accountability. The latter is through a Discord group of fellow writers where we say weāre working and sometimes do sprints. Itās so helpful. And the former, is inspired by Claribel A. Ortegaās cozy writing method. I pulled out a wall calendar I donāt really use and started giving myself stickers for every day I wrote. It brought joy and I was pretty consistent until just before Helene. Iām getting back to sticker/writing life tomorrow!
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āIn broad strokes,ā explained Jim, āthe message I try to bring across is the positives of life and a positive attitude toward the goodness of mankind.ā - Jim Henson: The Biography
Whatās going on in your world, everyone? Any Halloween costumes or plans? Tell me all the things!
Hey Amy - you'll get back on track for sure! Life always has those cyclical emotions, and new thins come along to replace old. If I could be of any help for that job search I would! But congrats on the Star wars projects! I can't wait for the Art of Visions Season 2. In The Stars was the whole impetus behind approaching Chris for my first Insider article about ancient art. Those glowing handprints and moving (in both senses) imagery. It's going to be so special to hopefully see more of that. Congratulation to your husband too!
I dressed as Vader for Halloween, attending the launch party of Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans's new graphic novel at Gosh! comics. It was my first time at one of those and I didn't know what to expect but yeah brief fun was had in costume, I own a 1 in 100 signed bookplate and I did my best 'milling'. In other news (you did say all the things), in the course of 24hrs I heard about an indie game, joined the team and was promoted to lead writer! So that'll keep me busy!
Hi Amy - I've been exploring a creativity booster tool by taking Sarah Sawyer's dictation Boot Camp, starting out by thinking "no way!" but now, after some well thought out exercises that carefully build up to some initial mastery at the end of the 5 days, I'm thinking, 'Yeah! I can do this!" Maybe not for a complete draft, but for a scene (or scene ideas), capturing story ideas fast by dictating notes before they flit away - it's amazing what you can do with your smart phone and the right apps.
With technology racing ahead so quickly, gone are the days where the main point of entry was having slap down $$ for Dragon Dictate, or additional equipment. I think she plans to do another Boot Camp in January - and for $37, it's a small investment in what might become a useful tool in the writer's toolkit! Glad to hear you are doing ok even as the aftermath of Helene grinds on....