Here in the UK we have a public holiday today. It is the last of the summer bank holidays before autumn begins, and with the sun shining, many of us will be enjoying some time outside.
Before the regular holiday season draws to a close, it is well worth paying attention to carrying forwards the benefits of a holiday mindset to apply to your writing and to your everyday life.
Pause for a moment to reflect on how you think and feel when you are in holiday mode and write your results down in your journal.
Relaxed, open, spacious, spontaneous and free are all possible descriptions of a holiday mindset. What else describes your experience?
Celebrate
Holidays also encourage us to take the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy spending time with family and friends or recharging with some time to ourselves – or both at different times.
All of these qualities are deeply supportive of the creative writing process which flows more fluently when you are relaxed, open, spacious, spontaneous and free.
Your experience of the writing journey is also greatly enhanced when you take the time to celebrate along the way.
There are obvious moments to celebrate such as finishing your first draft, being signed up by a publisher, reading a positive review of your book or reaching a specific number of books sold.
Yet celebrating when you cross smaller thresholds is just as important.
Gathering your ideas for a new project into one place and getting yourself organised or finishing a chapter of your book are stages of completion that are well worth acknowledging.
Celebrations don’t always have to be major excursions. They may simply be taking an extra hour for yourself at the end of the day or treating yourself to a new pen.
How do you make this a reality in your everyday life once the holidays are over?
Be clear about the components of your own holiday mindset and schedule time in your diary now to make way for honouring whatever you need to retain these positive qualities.
And wherever you are on your writing journey right now, pause to celebrate how far you’ve come. I invite you to share what your holiday mindset includes, how you are choosing to take this forwards and what you are celebrating at this time by posting your comments below.
As always, enjoy the journey!
PS All of the class audios, Workbook and all materials from the IACCW Summer School are now available for you to benefit from working through this Conscious Writing Program in your own time.
Read more here: http://www.iaccw.com/70/summer-school-2011
Here are a few comments from participants: “An amazing experience!”; “a truly inspiring workshop”; “I now have the confidence I need”; “really opened my heart and mind with inspiration”; “I simply loved everything about it! A most brilliant summer session!”
