WRITING THROUGH LIFE'S VICISSITUDES

image from canva

By Shirin Shamsi
Writing is not meant to be easy. After all, it’s a lot like pouring one’s heart and soul onto paper. Sometimes life’s challenges get in the way of our writing. There are many times when my writing comes to a complete standstill. Though the dreaded ‘Writer’s Block’ is the nemesis of every writer, sometimes it’s not just that, it’s juggling the many other parts of life that can also get in the way of writing. 
So how does one find a way to navigate life’s vicissitudes and stay the course, keeping creativity alive? 
The answer is simple:
Be gentle on yourself. 

That is so freeing.

When I tell myself, “I didn’t write today.” Or that, “This week was a bad writing week.” The anxiety begins to build up slowly as the pressure increases, thus creating an insurmountable mountain of stress, which ends up making it more difficult to be creative. For me, there no doubt about it, my creativity evaporates under pressure. Relaxing and finding ways to replenish my soul, often feeds my creativity. Accepting my writing – or lack of it - as not being perfect, lessens the anxiety and pressure.

Doing things often unrelated to writing, can bring me back to writing. For example, I recently watched a T.V. show based on a book series I read years ago. It brought back so many childhood memories for me. It reignited my creative memory and inspired a memoir-type project that really got my writing flowing. 

Find ways to replenish your soul, to reignite the creativity within:
1: Read or watch something you enjoyed as a child.
2: Write morning pages, that Julia Cameron suggests in her book, The Artists Way.
3: Learn something new or have always wanted to try your hand at. For example, if you’re not an artist, learn to draw – it’s what I am doing and I love it! Whenever I’m at a dead end in a manuscript, I begin sketching or coloring. It’s wonderful.
4: Take a walk, exercise, do yoga, meditate – any change of scene should boost your creativity.

Happy Writing!

---

Shirin Shamsi has lived on three continents. She moved to the USA over three decades ago, where she has raised six children - three human and 3 feline. She now spends her days writing, sketching, painting and reading. School visits and reading to children are some of her greatest joys. Shirin has twelve published books, and is working on numerous works-in-progress.

Laila and the Sands of Time (Clear Fork Publishing, 2019) is her middle grade novel.
Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Lovvorn and Melissa Stoller, illustrated by Kate Talbot 2021)
Zahra’s Blessing: A Ramadan Story (Barefoot Books 2022)
The Moon From Dehradun (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022)