by Beverly Bochenek

Created on: October 05, 2010

The creative process is a funny thing. On the one hand, writing or building, painting or crafting comes easily to us. Writing is something we enjoy and most days we can sit at the computer or pick up the pad of paper and pen and just commence with the process.

It is as natural to us as breathing.

But as natural as it is to write, there are days when the process does not run on auto pilot. There are days when we stare at the computer like it’s an alien from another planet and that pad and paper that were our companions the day before are now mocking us with their silence. There are moments when it’s hard to breath.

But that doesn’t mean you should take a break.

When a creative art is also a way to make a living, we have to develop a balance that allows us to work when we don’t want to and to put down the creative process at a time when we think we want to press it through to the end.

Look, this is the way we have decided to care for our well being and the well being of our loved ones and while we may not have the constraints of a regular nine to five, those bills still come like clockwork and the electric company won’t prepare the shut off notice and then say: “Oh wait, they’re creative we can’t touch them.” We have to mindful that the creativity that comes from within is from a spiritual and reverent place that needs to be respected and at the same time we have to understand that we’ve made the decision to use it in a practical application and outside ‘regular folk’ business applications apply to what we do.

1. The calendar says so.

Schedule a few hours to a few days away from writing. That means no blogs, no Facebook, no tweets. With the technology available today, writers can find themselves writing all the time. The problem is we always think we have something magnificent to say so we want to make the most out of the 120 characters we have. Scheduling your break time helps keep you balanced.

2. When the outside forces of writing impinge on the inside forces of writing.

We write because we have to write but we choose how to do what we have to do. Writing is our natural force; blogging, copywriting, poetry – those are how we choose to do what we must. If the time comes when the details of blogging (how many hits will I get? Will anyone comment?) or copywriting (Can I get this done before the deadline? Will the client like this 245th revision?) overwhelm the natural joy; then it’s

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