My Wonderfully Chaotic Creative Process

My creative process is complete and utter chaos.  There is no daily routine, no peaceful workspace, no money to buy quality art supplies or pay for childcare.  There is only me and the desire to create.  The where, what, when, and how vary from day to day, but I always find a way.  Here is a glimpse into the where, what, when, and how of my creative writing process.  It's far from perfect, but it works well enough for me.  Enjoy.

Where

·      On the front porch on warm summer evenings getting eaten alive by bugs.

·      In the home of a beloved professor, Libby Jones, at one of her fabulous writing retreats.

·      Locked in my room with the fan on full blast trying to shut out the rest of the world.

·      Sitting on the sandy bank of a small creek as my son buries toys in the sand.

·      In the kitchen with paints, paper, and children’s books strewn all across the table and while eating a bowl of Greek yogurt, berries, and granola. 

What

·      Random thoughts and ideas in my writing journal

·      Illustrations for my Aunt Linda’s picture book “Lucy and Her Friends.”

·      Caricatures for family and friends

·      Poems that insist on being written

·      Endless revisions for picture books I’ve written and hope to one day publish

When

·      An occasional morning when I miraculously wake up before my son, Samuel, between 6:00 and 8:00 am.

·      Evenings when my husband is watching a basketball game and Samuel has just gone down for bed.

·      As my Samuel watches one of his favorite TV shows on Netflix including: My Little Pony, Dragon Tales, or Magic School Bus.

·      The minute Samuel gets lost in his little world of pretend and no longer needs me to entertain him

·      Moments I simply have to jot down an idea before I forget it, regardless of time or place.

How

·      Watercolors with the brushes and paints my husband gave me two Christmases ago.

·      On my computer while listening to relaxing solo piano music on Spotify.

·      Sketches with a mechanical pencil on regular printing paper

·      Notes scribbled into my writing journal given to me as a present from my dad.