No need to wait for the right time. You can make your own time, space, and community.
the willingness to keep going
How do you create space for your creativity?
Since my last post, I’ve been thinking a lot about the bigger picture of our writing lives. I realize how many writers get baffled about where to start. While we’re all at different phases of our artistic journeys, I find that the best formula for sticking with any creative endeavor takes resolve.
“A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to.” —Banksy
My resolve comes from a.) community, b.) creative resources (grants, quality education), and c.) a willingness to create the time and space.
If we stop thinking every project is the end-all be-all and instead realize that we’re in this for the long haul, the pressure is off, and we slow down enough to make plans. I credit residencies (see: time/space) and the grants that got me to them with almost every one of my longer-form works.
Not all of us have the luxury of time, and for that reason, I wanted to curate a short list of opportunities for those who need to carve out the space/time. I hope you find it helpful as you embark on your creative goals.
"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." —Joseph Campbell
Places I’ve personally vetted and have been, or have plans to visit this year.
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT. I was here a million years ago, and I credit it for my Rattle series. You can find a sample here.
The OU Gallery, Vancouver Island. I’ll be here in June working on polishing Vicky’s story and writing the 90s Art Scene Novel.
The Art Farm, Lincoln, Nebraska. I didn’t get a grant for this one; instead, I did some work in exchange for the space. Takeaways from this one included an unpublished novella, a life-long friendship, and at least 30,000 steps clocked each day. I also visited a small bar called the “Don’t Care Bar & Grill” that I will never forget.
Rockvale Writers’ Colony, College Grove, Tennessee. I have been here many times and credit this residency with the space to revise my first novel, We Arrive Uninvited.
Hammer & Sky Residency, Brier Island, Nova Scotia. I was most recently here with my buddy Ashley. I credit this residency with my first historical fiction novel, which is forthcoming. (Side note: This is mostly for visual artists, but one of the most beautiful and memorable places I’ve been.)
A place I plan to investigate next year:
Prarie Ronde, Vicksburg, Michigan. This place offers a stipend of a few thousand dollars to those accepted and covers many genres of art. In my experience, congregating with visual artists, composers, photographers, and writers can create unexpected magic and partnership.
Where to find residency programs or funding? Go to The Artist Communities Alliance (ACA). If you’re near me, check out Arts Midwest for funding opportunities (we don’t need your money, Feds).
“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach
Remember, friends, do what you have to do to keep going. If you can’t make a residency, make your own nurturing space by putting up a DND sign and finding the music, candles, aromas, caffeinated beverages, etc … whatever buoys your energy.
Some of us did this during the pandemic, if only for the few peaceful moments we could find. Some of us itched to get away. Do what works for you, and find/create space and time where you can. I’ve been finding ways to make space long before I thought it was possible, long before I even had reliable rent money. You can, too.
Maya Angelou got a hotel to do her writing. Virginia Woolf knew. We need a room of our own, if only for a few weeks a year.
And as for the community and mindset, join me for a little resource-trading get-together for subscribers here. If you attend, bring a “gift” in the form of a quote, tip, idea, prompt, or story that motivates you.
Please share more residencies and resources (how do you create space below!
I realize I don’t set aside a special place to write. I have a separate room for making my art, but not for writing. I usually seem to write my blogs, etc in a chair in the dining area or on the window seat. This does make me think more about how it would feel to have a designated area.