Sunday, 18 March 2012

Writers block and rescued by mum's peanut brownie recipe...

... well I could say I have writers block as I haven't really written bugger all for a while and completely lost my writers mojo.

I walk away from the computer and rub my eyes from weariness at scouring topographical maps and google earth and all the geographical details, the ridges, gullies, mountains, the many rivers and their tributaries where these hunters lived and worked, finding huts and marking their location,  writing notes on past hunters, are they still alive, phone them if they are, more notes and then to bed where I'm reading through a stack of books digesting details and relevant information. (At the mo its Archie Kitto's diaries by D. Bruce Banwell - brilliant book by the way).  

A morning of baking...necessary diversions when overwhelmed  !
So is it writers block or something else? I'm way too in tune with my creative energy to dismiss it simply as the former and know from past experience when working on an extensive and drawn out  project such as this, one has to expect some downtime; times of nil productivity, when the  batteries are recharged, when all you want to do is read books and watch DVD's on totally unrelated subjects; sit and fry ya brain on hours of bizarre and fantastic you tube videos. Bake peanut brownies, paint toe nails rainbow colours, put on bright pink gardening gloves and pull out weeds that will grow back tomorrow,
collect firewood (my favourite since we live in 11 acres of bush)
and not feel guilty when thinking I should be doing more interviews, editing, revising, transcribing...etc...etc  

Its all part of the process and one has to believe in it. The diversion into other places is necessary and valid. It affords one time to digest and reflect on a subconscious level, you may think nothings happening but by hell I can tell you it is. Theres a torrent of information  being processed and it takes time for all this data to settle into place.

So today I'm jubilant! Why? Because I feel settled and focused for the first time in months. I've resurfaced, recharged the batteries and ready to carry on with all the work in earnest.

When in doubt...doodle