After Two Months of Creative Gridlock, Enough is Enough…

Whilst my paintbrush and my pen lay dormant, I had a bit of fun on Canva.com and created this visual representation of my gridlocked mind.

We’ve just had a gentle heatwave here in the South of England. The birds have sung from dawn until dusk. My garden is in bloom in the sort of wondrous clashing colours that only nature can pull off with aplomb. And my creativity has returned.

Thus, I’ve written two eco-poems for competitions, plus I know exactly what I’m going to write for three short story competitions. Meanwhile, a twenty by twenty-four-inch canvas is glaring at my back from its easel, if a quarter-painted landscape/seascape can be said to glare. (Yes, canvas, I’m going to retrieve my paintbrushes from the cupboard soon.)

So, what has everybody else been doing or not doing in the last couple of months?

Author: Sarah Potter Writes

Sarah is a British eccentric who writes offbeat fiction, haiku and tanka poetry. When stuck for words, she sketches or paints instead. She's into nature conservation, sustainability, gardening, dogs, natural health, and reading. Her sociability is something that happens in short bursts with long breathing spaces in between.

33 thoughts on “After Two Months of Creative Gridlock, Enough is Enough…”

    1. Thank you, Dale 🙂 It is a great relief about my creativity, as I thought my lack of inspiration/motivation might be permanent.
      We must, must, have a girls’ chat soon, now I’ve returned from the dead zone. Let me know when you and Rochelle are both free. I’m guessing you can only do the weekends at the moment?

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      1. No, no… it was just resting 🙂
        That would be lovely. Will have to be a Sunday as I work weekdays and Saturday’s don’t work for Rochelle. 🙂

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      7. No worries. You do what you gotta do!
        Rochelle is away for a couple of weeks on a 50th anniversary trip 🙂
        I’m a 9-5 working stiff (blech)

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      8. It sounds exhausting working 9-5. I think it would kill me quicky if I tried it now.
        I look forward to chatting whenever it suits you and Rochelle, provided it isn’t the middle of the night for me as I really need my beauty sleep more and more, with every year that passes!

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      9. I am SO DONE with working. I am trying to figure out how many years I really need to.
        I can only on weekends. And, should you wanna have a chat à deux instead of à trois, just say so 🙂

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      11. Ours is November 7 (when, oh when will they abolish this ridiculousness?)
        When you say Saturday, you really mean Sunday at 2 am? 😉

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      2. How goes it? It’s more than 8 weeks 😉 I was just looking at your pics from back in August and can’t see that any body building is required! You look a good and healthy weight. The trouble with too much muscle is that if you don’t keep up bodybuilding for the rest of your life, things go to flab bigtime (says me, the skinniest person in my street!). I’m working on heart health at the moment, making myself climb the steepest hill I can find daily, and doing it in one go without getting out of breath. This is after taking my 13-year-old dog for a long plod that can’t be called exercise, apart from the large amount of chin exercise I get with all the talking I do to people I meet. Wishing you a very happy New Year.

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    1. Oh, that I was energetic, Carla! I’m just pretending to be energetic, in the hope that my brain hoodwinks my body into believing it. I think my body is protesting against having four vaccines in about six months (pneumonia, flu, & pfizer X 2), after 40+ years of not having any vaccines. Still, it’s better than dying of the virus or infecting everyone around you. Creativity, gardening, and sunshine are the best kickstarters to good health. I’m pleased you’re having lots of company. There are many very lonely people just now. I think I’ve had conversations with more of my neighbours and other people when I’m out walking my dog, than ever before. I sat in bed this morning, telling my husband who lives in each house in our lengthy road, and something about them. I couldn’t have done that before the pandemic.

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  4. Ha, you know how much I relate to this one! Love it. So happy to hear that all those creative juices are flowing — may your stories spring Athena-like fully-formed from your head! Summer so far is challenging but I’m determined to enjoy it. We had a storm last night in the midst of one of the worst droughts I’ve lived through here, and it was sublime. Every living thing looks happy this morning, and I’m not one to be left out of such things. 😉

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    1. I just love weather storms, but not too happy about what they call “the storms of life”. Still, without the latter, the former would not appear so sublime. We had an amazing storm a few months ago, with violet jags cutting across a night sky from west to east and stabbing the inky ocean with its spears. I viewed it from my house on a hill, through a big picture window facing south over the English Channel. The morning after a storm always seems to smell extra fresh and everything seems to sparkle 🙂

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  5. I hope all goes well with the submissions. Welcome back, dear friend. Sometimes we just need to walk away and find out what else is happening in life. I have done very little in the way of creative writing of late. I’m still writing, but the urge to complete novels is not with me at the moment. I’m sure it will return, so no worries.
    Sending you hugs on this sunny, lovely Friday. Take care and stay safe.
    Bill

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    1. Dear Bill, I’ve just returned from another lengthy walking away and finding out what else is happening in life. There are ideas for a novel germinating in my head, although focus is still a big problem.
      Sending you hugs on this showery, not too cold October day, 4 months on from your words of empathy back in June.
      Sarah

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  6. Dear Sarah,

    I can relate to your gridlock. I’ve experienced the same in my writing. Happily it’s returned and I’ve written three submissions for a writing contest. I’m pleased to hear yours has returned as well. Those pesky muses. Looking forward to chatting. 😀

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Dear Rochelle,

      I’m so pleased your gridlock has gone. Am hoping it stays away for you, unlike mine, which has kept on returning, not helped by a family bereavement. I haven’t been feeling very chatty, but am attempting to surface once more.

      When’s the best time for a chat, for you and for Dale?

      All best wishes,
      Sarah

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      1. Dear Sarah,

        I think I might have been a bit hasty in saying my gridlock was gone. My muse is still on again off gain. Very frustrating.
        At present we’re out of town at Jan’s cousin’s place in Florida which is about 1,000 miles from home. We’ll be home this weekend so I can’t chat until next week. And we are long overdue, aren’t we?

        Shalom,

        Rochelle

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      2. Dear Rochelle,

        It’s so darned frustrating chasing a fluctuating and elusive muse. I hope at least your art muse is behaving itself better.

        Enjoy Florida, and let me know when you’re free for a chat as and when. We are indeed long overdue.

        All best wishes,
        Sarah

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    1. My Mojo is very intermitttent, as you can see, with it having taken 4 months to reply to your comment. Getting there ever so slowly, much like walking through a muddy field in heavy boots. Submission-wise, I’ve had one response that has made me want to carry on writing and perhaps finally attempt to write something that actually fits into a definite genre. I even have an interesting set of characters and a plot developing in my mind, so that’s a promising start.

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