Losing the Will to Write
Being Kind to Ourselves in the Busy Seasons
Hello Inklings!
Today, I am coming to you from a crazy, pressure filled, middle of book release season. My brain is mush, I’m on deadline with another project, and the list of things that I need to complete seems insurmountable. Sacred Renewal is heading out into the world this July, and I feel like I am running in twelve directions at once. Between formatting, final edits, marketing plans, and more, the creative part of me feels stretched thin.
Maybe you’re here too. You’re trying to write, trying to delve into the beauty of your imagination, but your mind is stuck spinning on everything else. Deadlines. Family. Work. Life. The writing feels harder, slower, and overwhelming.
Here’s what I’m reminding myself (and maybe it will help you, too). Creativity doesn’t vanish when we’re busy or overwhelmed. It just changes shape or becomes a little harder to grasp. Maybe it shows up in fragments instead of chapters. Maybe it looks like messy sentences jotted on a napkin instead of a cleanly crafted page. Maybe it’s just a tune without lyrics, or just a word or a title instead of a full poem. But it’s still creativity, and it’s still there.
When we’re carrying big projects or going through complex life events, our writing process has to shift. Oftentimes, I still expect myself to produce to the fullness of my abilities during high-stress times, but that is unrealistic, unfair, and not kind to myself. And it sucks the joy from my writing life. We forget that our energy is not endless, and when we try to split it across too many tasks and responsibilities, we tap out our emotional and creative bandwidth. To be kind to ourselves is to realize that not being able to do everything isn’t failure, it’s simply a reality of life, and we need to learn to give ourselves grace.
Today while I was beating myself up about being too tired to come up with a topic for this month’s newsletter, I remembered that several years ago I decided to give myself permission to change my personal definition of success. That change has allowed me to achieve some pretty amazing goals since 2018. During calmer seasons, success might look like writing 1k words a day, or finishing a chapter each week. But right now, success looks like loving on myself, taking care of my needs, getting Sacred Renewal ready for release, and letting non-essential pressures wait their turn.
This flexibility isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. It means we can adapt instead of burning out. And for me, it means practicing self-care in real-time, instead of just writing about it. All in all, this is one part of the ebb and flow of our creative lives. Since burnout isn’t an option, I instead choose to encourage myself along, resisting the urge to bully myself with bad self-talk and obscene expectations.
Some practical ways that I’m staying connected to my writing right now:
Writing down ideas, scenes, fragments as they come. Being prepared to capture ideas on the go by having pen, paper, or phone nearby.
Giving myself permission to be chaotic and messy with my writing as my mind is more focused on the business side of writing instead of the creative side. As long as it is written down somewhere, it won’t get lost.
Taking time to relax and read. Connecting with the books and authors that inspire me instead of pushing myself to create more and exploring new genres to open my imagination.
Giving myself daydreaming time - turning on music that makes my imagination wander or spending time in my hammock just enjoying nature and daydreaming into the evening.
Focusing on what is important and keeping my checklists small as I move closer to my book release. Sometimes I over-complicate things and the added pressure just slows me down. By removing the mental clutter, I am able to stay focused and complete tasks, trusting myself to complete each task as it comes.
If you’re carrying a heavy load and wondering where your “real writing” went - I am with you. If you look close enough, you’ll see that you’re still doing the work, even if it looks different today than it usually does. And that’s more than okay.
Let’s make a promise to each other. That we’ll be kind to ourselves. That we’ll trust that the words will wait for us. Trust that our creativity is patient and knows when to inspire us. And when we’re ready, it will all be there, even better and brighter than before.
How are you inspiring yourself to keep your creative flame burning during busy seasons? Share your thoughts, we’re all in this together!
Until next time,
