Ideas are as numerous as raindrops on a wild stormy night. Capturing a decent concept is as elusive as catching lightning in a bottle. Creativity on demand is challenging. Commit to completing your first draft, they say. Count your words, keep pen to the page until you reach your goal. Rinse and repeat day, after day, after day. It is easy. Right?

It might be if stringing random words together constituted excellent writing if compelling plots lines materialized from thin air and interesting characters knocked on your door. We are human, not magicians, so we seek inspiration everywhere. When the lightning strikes, we hold it tight and write late into the night.

When do your ideas flow?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The chilly Sunday dawn dances with a magical quality. Bright red cardinals compete for fat sunflower seeds. Red-winged blackbirds, chickadees, goldfinches, and a downy woodpecker flit between the feeder and the evergreens. Squirrels chase each other through the yard, fighting over every titbit, they remain oblivious to the hawk floating in lazy circles in the crystal blue sky. It may not be Walden, but it is my slice of nature carved from a suburban landscape.

A frosty mist clings to the ground, laying heavy on autumn air, as the weakening sun promises to hold off the rain and warm the day. The fresh morning brims with pledges of freezing rain, a snowy winter, and long nights in front of the fire. A deep breath, a hot cup of coffee, and a soft breeze erases worry and clears the mind. At last, the ideas flow.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The mailman delivered a package this afternoon. I have been both dreading and looking forward to its arrival. Tucked inside is the promise of beauty. Three years ago, I planted 300 tulip bulbs in my front garden bed and waited for spring.  They rewarded me with a spectacular show that took my breath away and garnered the neighbor’s comments.

There are tricks to growing tulips in my zone, as they don’t naturalize easily. Those methods require enjoying the flowers, letting the foliage dieback, and then lifting the bulbs from the ground. You must wash, dry and store any undamaged bulbs in a cool, low humidity environment until it is time to plant them again in the fall. The process helps to ensure the bulb’s health and encourages vigorous spring flowering.

I follow a different course. I elect to not lift and replant them but let them remain in situ. The result is fewer annual blooms. This year, a sprinkling of tulips raised their heads, but the showing was unacceptable. I will dig 300 six-inch-deep holes, sprinkle in a bit of fertilizer, add the bulb, tamp it in and move to the next. It is backbreaking toil that won’t produce results until late April.

What are you planting today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I enjoy being busy and it has gotten me into trouble. Over-committed, overwhelmed, overworked, and managing an overflowing schedule, leads to being overstressed. I am no slacker. I climb mountains to honor my commitments. People rely on me and I wouldn’t change it. But, when I say, “I can’t,” I’m not exaggerating. Being overextended teaches many lessons.

We’ve read those posts. You know the “10 Ways to Productivity” lists. A few tips work sometimes, while others are a complete failure for me. One helpful tip is an admonition to clear your desk, extolling the virtues. An empty workspace drives me crazy. A pristine desktop signals a lack of activity and performance. No inspiration, no ideas, no novel connections to make because of a notebook, open to a random page on which I slop my coffee. I dab the mess, a phrase comes into sharp focus, and voilà, I have a great topic to explore.

That wouldn’t happen with a tidy desk. I might still be staring at a clean counter, as I listen to my deadline swoosh by. Instead, I reach my goal in half the allotted time, freeing me to move to another task. With a big win notched in my belt, I have positive momentum, I fly, completing more jobs than I imagined was possible.

How do you get things done?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Tension gets a bad rap. They constantly tell us; we need to eliminate tension. But tension isn’t evil, in fact, it is useful. Maybe imperative. We borrow the word tension from the Latin tensiōn, tensiō  the “process of drawing tight.” Tension is a pull in a cable, a cord, a string, a chain… or a tendon. There is an old saying, “You can’t push a rope.”

Bodybuilders practice a “Time Under Tension” technique to help build big, strong muscles. When you are building muscle, tension is key. Structural Engineers use a measure called tensile strength to calculate the amount of force a material can withstand without tearing apart.

Bundles of steel cables have huge tensile strength and are used to construct suspension bridges. Simple instruments are stringed. They produce delightful sounds with tensioned strings that vibrate when plucked, strummed or hammered. Storytellers rely on tension to keep their audience engaged in the tale. Tension makes the world beautiful.

How does tension make your life sing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Obstacles come in many shapes and sizes. Stumbling blocks are often trivial, easy to solve and present a minor inconvenience. Hardships can be hair-raising, complex issues calling for skill, detailed planning and expert help to overcome. Sudden rainstorms, flat tires requiring half a day to fix, missed connections, mixed messages and energy spent spinning in circles with no forward momentum can take a toll. Fortunately, we decide how we manage life’s tests.

Some things are best ignored, like thunderstorms that quickly dissipate.  Having a flat tire could be a silver lining when the mechanic identifies a recall and fixes everything in a few hours. There may be humor in a missed connection. New commonalities emerge by asking questions, which reveals better avenues of communication. When we make a conscious decision to choose our reactions, novel solutions arise, or amusing stories unite us with laughter. We might discover a process filled with happiness.

How do you handle obstacles?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I remember playing as a kid. It was a magical time. Apple trees magically transformed into space stations, and a sandbox set the stage for a town with a moat. The bare spot under a row of pines was a deep, dank dungeon below a giant castle. Epic adventures to distant lands filled with mystical creatures were only a heartbeat away. Inspiration floated on the breeze, shadows created villains and dappled sunlight illuminated the path to a happy ending.

Today social media encroaches on the wellspring of ideas. Our minds are seldom allowed the freedom of downtime. The minute we disconnect, we grow anxious. We fear we will miss something important. We are uncomfortable, no longer friends with silence. Our hands shake, we break out in cold sweats, and we hallucinate thinking we hear our phone beep. We are strung out on technology’s constant stimulation and in need of intervention. When we unplug, when we allow our mind the quiet it craves, creativity comes out to play.

How will you nurture your imagination today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The phrase “keeping your nose to the grindstone,” makes me laugh. I imagine a poor knife sharpener with a scabby nose. Didn’t those grindstones come with a warning? Wouldn’t the master grinder, warn his pupil of the hazards? I have discovered the expression may have originally, been to “hold one’s nose to the grindstone.” The change of one word alters the meaning. Now, the master is in charge. Chop, chop, there Mr. Apprentice.

In our modern era, we put the onus on ourselves to develop and maintain our persistence. We place the attainment of success on frail human shoulders and despise ourselves when we crumble under enormous expectations. While it is true, we bear responsibility for creating and pushing forward, no one can do it all. We need a support system.

Vincent van Gogh relied on his loving brother Theo. But many argue Van Gogh’s pieces would be less popular except for the efforts of his sister-in-law, Johanna Gezina van Gogh-Bonger. After the death of both Vincent and Theo, she and her infant son became the owners of Vincent’s work. People urged her to dump the collection and get on with her life. Instead, she worked to increase awareness and admiration of his paintings. Theo helped to hold his brother’s nose to the grindstone and implored him to complete his artwork. Theo also created an appreciation, and perhaps a sense of obligation with Johanna to continue promoting the art.

Who is working on your team?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I have a chaise lounge positioned in front of a bright sunny window. It is a fabulous place to sit, enjoy the chilly autumn sunlight, and soak in the precious rays. With a cup of coffee by my side, I step into an enchanting book and read. The byproduct of a cozy quiet Sunday is I often take a nap.

A morning snooze or an afternoon siesta is an indulgent luxury. When I was a young child, I remember summertime visits to my grandparent’s home. Their wonderful old house lacked air conditioning, and on hot summer afternoons, grandma would turn on the fans and pull the blinds. We filled those hours with stories, modest projects, word games and while there was no pressure to sleep, someone always napped.

On my trips to Italy, I found I easily slipped into their cultural rhythms. Sunrise espressos, a stroll to view ancient ruins, led to late lunches, followed by a little rest. My Sundays are an attempt to recreate those pleasant memories, and for one day a week, live a lifestyle that seems natural to me.

How do you spend your Sundays?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I don’t know if it is OCD, but I like it when things are immaculate and ordered. There is a satisfaction in having a place for everything, and everything living in its assigned spot. A clean house, sparkling windows, freshly folded towels, spotless floors, and warm homemade cookies are my idea of a comfortable abode.

My writing rituals are no less rigorous. I set specific, time-sensitive writing goals, schedule a time to write and analyze my progress. I demand high standards. Expecting perfection, my results are often less than gratifying, and yet, better than I hoped. A clutter-free desk and a blank document allow my mind to concentrate on writing without distraction.

What is your perfect writing environment?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer