(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr. Find out more at my newsletter.)
Awhile ago, I contributed to a cookbook for authors called Feeding The Muse. That made me think about the challenges authors faced, one of them being how to eat healthy and fast. It was one of the reasons I started posting my recipes here.
This has made me think about something we writers and indeed all creators face – the need for the life skills to allow us to be creative. You can’t write or draw when you can’t manage money or are too busy to clean the house.
This has made me think about all sorts of things that we authors and creatives can and should do.
We need to develop our own life skills: We need to work on developing the life skills that allow us to be creative. My challenge for you – What life skills do you need to improve?
We need to ask for help: We can’t do everything. We may need to hire someone to clean, or our cooking is so bad we need advice. Yes, that’s directed at you. My challenge to you is – What “life area” should you ask for help in?
We need to share our life skills: Everyone has challenges in their creative lives. We also have things we’re probably good at. So go and share your life skills. My challenge to you – What is your best life skill and how can you share it?
We need to share our life skill resources: Books, guides, websites. Let’s share our life skill resources – say a writing club with it’s own web page for such resources? Take this challenge – How can you share your favorite life skill resources right now?
We should make life skills part of creative events: Let’s share our life skills at creative events. Why not make it part of your writing group? Do a panel at conventions? Here’s your challenge – What environments are best for you to share your life skills?
Life skills support our creative work – and thus are part of our creative lives. It’s up to us to learn them, apply them, share them – and admit our gaps.
Steven Savage