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Feeding Your Creativity, Exploring Your Dreams

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I’m an author of a lot of books and a lot of blogs—thirty-five and 3,000+ respectfully! I write a lot. I plot a lot, but one of my biggest weaknesses is in taking time to consider how to fuel my soul. There’s a lot going out, and if I’m not careful I get drained.

Ways I fuel my writing day:

 

  • Reading God’s Word
  • Writing a prayer in my journal
  • Reading a devotional book
  • Reading inspiring blogs
  • Chasing my kids around
  • Feeding my visual senses at Pinterest
  • Listening to my favorite songs via Spotify
  • Reading People.com (okay, mostly looking at the new babies)
  • Doing a craft with my kids
  • Reading a chapter of a novel
  • Chatting with a friend
  • Looking through stock photos and playing with PicMonkey

I used to think of these things as procrastination or obstacles, but I’ve found that when I give myself time to listen to words, to see lovely images, and to laugh and play, I’m filling up the creative fuel that allows the words to flow.

I’ve also discovered it’s important to brainstorm big ideas. Yes, writing a shopping list is planning, but at least every few weeks I like to jot down notes about “big-picture dreams.”

A few things that made it from ideas to reality:

 

  • Taking our teens on a mission trip (turned into three trips in three years)
  • Adopting a baby (we’ve since adopted one, with two more adoptions in the works)
  • Write a book with a business guru (Ken Blanchard and I have one that just released: Lead Your Family Like Jesus)
  • Do a book-signing tour (my friend joined me)
  • Go on a cruise (we’ve been on two)
  • Be on the Focus on the Family Radio Program (I’ve been on twice.)
  • Visit the Holocaust Museum in DC

 

Things I’m still dreaming about …

  • Have one of my novels made into a movie
  • Taking all my kids (including the new ones) to Disneyland
  • Being invited to be on the Today Show
  • Living in the Czech Republic with my family for a year
  • Taking a Mediterranean cruise
  • Visit New York City

How about you? Do you take time to feed your creativity? Do you take time to feed your dreams?

We’ll all get burnt out if we don’t create, explore, enjoy, hug, laugh, and dream. I guarantee you’ll be more efficient with your writing work when you feed these parts of your soul!

Tricia Goyer

Comments

  1. These are all great suggestions, Tricia. I find chatting with friends and family most always provides great jumping off points for posts. Taking a walk with someone else also is always refreshing and seems to release ideas that have been held captive under the large pile of daily to-do’s. 😉

  2. I find that it is important to be disciplined in writing, but it is also important to leave room for the other things. I feed my soul by reading novels and inspirational books. I feed my soul by talking with friends. Not just online-but live conversations. I feed my soul by spending time reading the Bible and praying. Jesus Christ is living water. He is the Bread of Life. I have to get my sustenance primarily from Him. I feed my soul through looking at beauty-on Pinterest, on artistic blogs, and in nature. I am a thinker, so any opportunity to think or any subject to get me thinking is what feeds my soul.
    I loved this post. I love your list of realized dreams and still out there dreams. God is so good!

    • Just this morning I hung out with fellow Teen MOPS leaders and chatted. Even though it was a planning meeting I felt so revitalized when we were done. Adult conversation is needed sometimes! What’s on your “still out there dreams” list?

  3. Wow, this is a very inspiring post. I love that you show Christ in your life through your activities and life’s decisions, such as adoptions.

    You do a lot, which means you really NEED those cruises! To God be the glory. Thanks for writing and sharing this post:).

  4. I love this post! I really struggle with finding time to do much of anything for myself, and I know that needs to change. This is my year of “less” and I’m slowly but surely paring down both the clutter in our house and the clutter in our lives. You’ve inspired me to put my dreams down on paper so I can see them and hopefully make some of them reality one day.

  5. Hi Tricia, i just started blogging and love your inspiration on fueling your soul!

  6. It is encouraging to read that your writing is fueled by visual stimuli among all the others. I am an artist before I found a passion for writing and I still find a need to switch between the two mediums. They seem to play off of each other, to feed into each other. Though sometimes, I have to admit I feeling a bit like a Jekyll & Hyde bouncing between the two! So seeing you, such a prolific writer, doing the same thing makes me feel somewhat normal. Thank you for sharing this.

    • One of my new favorite things is just looking at Thinkstock photos! The images often fuel my writing ideas. I think God created artists to “fuel ourselves” in many ways! You’re welcome!

  7. This totally is where I’m at right now. As a SAHM of 3, I’m rediscovering how really important it is to keep my own dreams and interests alive, so I am energized for my family and not as whiny with my husband. (I’m not necessarily perfect at either of these qualities, but I’m working on it!) I’ve been making a point to write more about happiness and fun and “sparkle” on my blog, and it’s really refreshing! http://shannonkwheeler.blogspot.com

  8. Love that you still have big dreams that include going to NYC and being on the Today Show, but also include going to Disney with your family. What great suggestions!

  9. I just got back from the She Speaks Conference, and Michael Hyatt dared us to write our goals down. This post is pushing me today to actually do that! Thanks Tricia – you are a bold and beautiful example…..

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