January 8, 2010

Playdate for writers: Secret hiding place!

A weekly blog post about your inner two year old, and the many ways they can use to help you make your writing sparkle with their zeal :)

Remember those secret hiding spaces you created as a small child? The kind of places where you could just sit for hours, hidden from the rest of the world?

They used to be really simple, sometimes just a blanket over the table that became a secret pirate nest. My favorite secret place was the stack of mattresses in the attic, hidden behind a curtain. I spent hours there, playing, and later reading and writing in my journal. Even now I can remember how this place made me feel.

This week's playdate is simple: find a secret place where you can sit and play with your writing. Somewhere in the house where you never used to go to write, somewhere that you feel comfortable at, very very comfortable. Get your notepad, your pen, and start exploring.

And if you say: there is no place to hide away, I have the following tip: Get a blanket from your cupboard, and toss it over your table. Crawl under the table with some pillows and voila, a secret hiding place.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Tamlyn

December 18, 2009

Playdate for writers: keep it simple

A weekly blog post about your inner two year old, and the many ways they can use to help you make your writing sparkle with their zeal :)

Today's playdate is all about habits. Like a child having to put away toys and eventually doing it all by herself (if she has a good day and wants the ice cream treat mommy promised!), us writers build our own habits too.

But sometimes our habits become our downfall. Whether it's overorganization (everything needs to be in order before I can work, and oh how do I organize this thought and where is my to read list?), procrastination (staring out of the window is good because I really am thinking about my writing!), or any other negative -ion in the dictionary, each can mean we don't get to do what we love most, writing.

Our inner two year old knows how to deal with the stuffy adult stuff. She can toss over the neat lil tower of books that we built on our desks, or she can tear up that amazingly long list of topics to research. She can also pull your sleeve and demand your attention when you sit and stare out of the window. She's in tune with her creativity, and she loves to remind you of that, if you let her.

So today's playdate is an invitation for you to let your inner two year old tell you where you are getting all stuffy and overfed. What area around your desk is full of stuff that really doesn't matter? How long is your to do list, and how much of it do you really need?

Play with your surroundings and really play with your inner two year old. She's a great teacher and she will show you where you can make improvements to get the flow of creativity go ahead full steam!

Wheeeee!

Tamlyn and her inner two year old