Sometimes I don’t get out very much. I got lucky the past couple of months to see favorite authors in the city, but in a sense I’m still homebound. When I’ve spent too much time alone, I find that there’s nothing ready to come out when I’m ready to write or create. When that happens, I sign into Facebook and see what my friends are doing. I read blogs that interest me. It might be a title, a word, or an image that makes a connection in my mind. Suddenly I have something to say.
I’m rarely able to plan blog posts in advance, as much as I would love to do so, because I never know when ideas will come. I’m working on this, though. One thing I am quite sure of is that sometimes the inspirations only come when I’m connected to people in some way. Otherwise I tend to get quite lost in my own mind.The wheels start spinning, and before I know, yes, I’ve written “something,” but that something is usually a muddled thought that doesn’t enrich or uplift anyone’s life.
Even a few minutes on Facebook, if I can be aware of how long I’m spending on the site, can help me clarify an idea and put it into words that are beneficial and encouraging.
I hope that one day my community becomes more in-person again, because I know I need it. But for now, the amazing people I have connected with on Facebook are forming the kind of community that provides me a safety net and the kind of connections that never leave me unchallenged and uninspired.
Creativity requires community.
Finding Our Voices Together 