What creative resolutions will YOU set this September?

My own creative resolution is to FINALLY finish my novel.

(I recently wrote about how said novel came into being, and what the story is, if you’re interested).  I’ve got two chapters left to write and I’m pledging, here and now, to finish them before the year is out.

Feel free to hold me to account on that!

Creating something – a painting, a book, a piece of music – is hard work. 

Ideally, you’ll have the right combination of time, headspace, and guidance to get them done… plus a big dollop of motivation.

On paper, January and April seem like the perfect times to start something new.  Tolstoy even told us that “spring is the time of plans and projects”.  But the gloominess of ‘real’ life just after Christmas and New Year celebrations can feel stifling.  April, meanwhile, is just busy.  It’s the end of the financial year and the start of the Easter holidays – who’s got the time for plans and projects?

Meanwhile, September lingers patiently on the calendar, ready to help us shed the skin of summer.

(We naturally crave renewal in autumn.  That’s why the September issues of glossy fashion magazines are considered to be the most important of the year).

How to beat procrastination

You can beat creative procrastination by taking the pressure off.  You don’t have to do what everyone else says they’re doing, you just have to find the right way for you.

That might mean planners, schedules, and set hours.  It might simply mean trusting yourself to work regularly on something that’s important to you, so you find random windows of time.

(For me, it’s the latter.  My mind rebels against ‘schedules’ of every description!)

Gentle guidance

I know exactly what it’s like to struggle with a creative idea, and the messy, often emotional challenge presented by trying to make it read, sound, or look the same way as it does in your head.

I would have loved to work with a mentor when I was starting my novel, but I couldn’t find one who felt like the right fit.  So now, I offer online writing mentoring sessions the way I would have wanted them!

As in: there’s no ongoing obligation or contract, and no pressure to “do something profitable” with your writing.  Just a gentle focus on learning, growing, having fun, and seeing where it takes you.

If that sounds good and you’d like to learn more, you can book a casual chat here.

And if you’d prefer something more structured and one-off, you can book an intensive, 1.5-hour ‘Plan Your Masterpiece’ session here!