Creating in Chaos

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in two different podcast interviews. We talked about books, and maintaining creativity, and lots of other super exciting things, but one topic I wanted to take a moment to touch on with you is maintaining creativity through the dumpster fire that is 2020. 

It's been a rough and tragic year for basically the whole world. We've all lost something. If you're lucky, it was your sense of normality. If you're not, it's a loved one. 

This has not been a year any of us wanted to happen. 

But, if you look on social media, it can be easy to believe that everyone has been super productive, used their isolation time to create wonderful art, and will be (eventually) stepping back out into the world with a six pack. 

That's a lie. 

Yes, I have continued to publish. Yes, I am still working to get audiobooks out for three of my series. Yes, I have been *trying* to maintain my word count goals and be a productive member of society.

But please don't believe that I am some indestructible creator of books whose ability to write decent stories hasn't been impacted by the chaos of the world. Planning everything, even a release date, feels like a monumental undertaking.  

I don't know what the world is going to look like in six months, so how should I know what a good day to put out a book might be?

Plotting a series is hard. Are dystopian vampires a great idea, or are vampires going to be December's murder hornets? At this point, I'd believe it. 

If you're feeling unproductive, like your creativity has been stifled, or if you can't bring yourself to buy a 2021 planner because what does scheduling even mean anymore, you're not alone. 

You have no obligation to come out of Dumpster Fire 2020 with a new special skill, a script for the next Broadway hit, and an owl-inspired knowledge of a new language. If you've done all those things, good for you. 

But if all you manage is to drink some water, eat a sandwich, and get through the day, that's okay, too. 

This is a terrible time. You do not have to be at your best. You do not have to thrive. All you have to do is survive. Everything else is just gravy.

You can get through this.