The Creative Cycle Part 1: Systems
In recent weeks, I have come to the realization that I have a cycle to my creativity. I'll start a project and it will usually go something like this:
I beat my head against the wall (metaphorically) trying to figure out how to actually write a book.
A breakthrough occurs and things start to click.
I get excited, and write to exertion pushing myself to the end.
Burnout. Two or so business months where I can't do anything creative.
But wait, perhaps all I need is a new productivity system to get me working again!
A period of hyper focus where I put all this time and energy into creating that new productivity system.
This creative spurt makes me feel like I can write again.
I successfully use the productivity system for 2-7 days before I drop it again.
I'm able to continue working on the new project, but all the lovely writing habits I have are atrophied and I...
Beat my head against the wall trying to figure out how to actually write a book.
It's a vicious cycle, and one I'd like to break. This is the first of several blog posts with my ramblings on how I plan to fix it. Hopefully it can help someone else. This week the focus is on removing the “productivity system” step entirely.
Before I get started on rambling about my own journey (which I’m sure is riveting), let me give you the map I used. That way, if you are going through a similar cycle or phase, you can take what is applicable to you and hopefully it can help.
Really think about the kind of writer/creative you are. Abandon the ideal version and examine how you naturally show up. Do you thrive on deadlines or need flexibility? Are you rigid with your habits or distractible?
Examine your previous productivity systems (if you have them) for what actually worked. Be honest with yourself. What systems do you use regularly without thinking about them? What do you naturally gravitate towards? Often, the simpler the system, the better.
Think about your version of the “ideal” writer/creative. The person you want to be. What about their lifestyle is appealing to you? Do you want to become like them because then you would be a “real” author, painter, poet, etc.? Are these expectations realistic?
Take what you know about yourself and the systems that actually work, and figure out a workflow that you are more likely to use and stick to. Test it for a week and see how it goes.
Here are my ramblings on how I came to (hopefully) the last productivity system.
Writing Archetypes
A few months back, I had someone in my writing group send a quiz my way. I was skeptical, because it seemed like one of those personality tests that are incredibly satisfying to take, but don’t really have a scientific backing. This one was to determine your writer archetype, and while I still believe it isn’t the most scientific approach, this quiz did make me think.
And thinking (or overthinking) is one of my best tools for figuring stuff out.
Apparently, my archetype is “weaver” and I tend to get inspiration from a myriad of places. It’s true. I am a rather eclectic writer. As a result, it can be difficult to weave all the disparate pieces together, but when I do, oh does it work.
The archetype that is the least applicable to me is “Athlete.” That would be someone who is driven by results: wordcount, deadlines, goals, habits, spreadsheets, etc..
In other words, exactly the kind of writer I try to force myself to be whenever I redesign my productivity system and surge ahead into a new project.
I’ve tried planners, spreadsheets, trackers, harsh deadlines, calendars full of reminders, Notion databases, etc.. Every time I fail.
A New System
The same creator that made the quiz (which I’ve linked at the bottom) also had a free course on resetting your writing life. I won’t go into the whole thing because if this is something that interests you, you ought to go check it out yourself, but I did want to highlight one section.
One of the worksheets for the course asked something to the effect of: “What structures/systems have worked for you in the past?”
This made me pause, because I’ve made so many systems over the years and so many of them have “failed.” But there are a few tools that have worked for me over the years, if I can only deconstruct what makes them work to begin with.
Weekly planning: Most of the new systems I try to set up have something in them that forces me to engage daily. That worked fine when I was in college, but now? After the 2-7 day trial run of a new system, my use trickles down to nothing. I need something with minimal maintenance. Daily is too frequent, but I have consistently been able to plan weekly. So that’s my sweet spot. We can start there.
Whiteboard: When I was still in college, I had a giant whiteboard on my wall that I would use to plan my life. It helped me to keep track of projects, reports, and deadlines for school and my writing. The whiteboard has gone through several different iterations, but it’s pretty constant and always useful.
Notebook: When I was first writing The Pennington Perplexity I picked up a moleskin notebook in a stationery shop in London. That became a repository for all my story ideas. When that one filled up, I had started up my bullet journaling, so it kind of fell to the wayside. But I think it’s important to have a specific place for all the stories to live.
Bullet Journal: This was my second brain during college and beyond. In fact, I used it so often and made such intricate spreads, I thought it would be a good way of starting a YouTube channel (spoiler alert, it wasn’t). Part of the problem is, I don’t have time to open it every single day. All the habit tracking made my head hurt, and it just didn’t work for me once I was out of college. But if I use it when I’m doing my weekly planning, it can keep me on track and help me not to forget important events.
Index Card System: Back in September, I created a whole index card system for keeping track of chores. I still stand by that one. It still works. But at the same time, I created a system for my work/personal stuff.
The system had tabbed index cards for every day of the month, and tabbed index card for every month of the year. Then, I could make a single reminder index card for important things, like backing up my computer, or writing my newsletter. Once a task was done, it was filed into the next spot (for instance, the computer backup was every Monday. Once done, it was moved to the next day that fell on a Monday).
Once again, it didn’t work because it required me to engage with it daily. It was too complicated. But I did use it to reference things.
Behind all those tabbed index cards, there was enough space to hold the index cards for my book’s outline. And in front, I had cards for each of my freelance projects so I could keep track of what I was working on.
I automatically go to the box when I know I need to reference something. So I removed all the reminders from the box and have left the references.
Bubble trackers: Now, I know I just said that trackers don’t work for me. But for whatever reason tracking bigger things, like chapters written or audiobook files edited, really works for me. Particularly when I know exactly how many chapters there are going to be in a book. I’ve designed a bubble tracker that looks like a typewriter with 23 keys---the exact number of chapters in the next Constantine book. Every time I finish a chapter I get to fill in a bubble, and I get to see tangible evidence of my progress. Now that’s a tool I can get behind!
With all of these tools that have “proved” themselves on the field of battle, we can create a “new” system that will hopefully work in perpetuity.
My new system needs:
· A weekly check in, where I reflect on the past week and look forward to the coming week. My bullet journal can be useful here to keep track of events and goals and I can write my weekly focus on the whiteboard as a reminder.
· Bubble trackers for macro milestones. I’ve already printed out the relevant trackers and have them up on my whiteboard. I’ll fill them in whenever I finish a milestone, but they don’t have a set schedule for management.
· Ways to reference things. I have my index box for things that I reference regularly (like my outlines or freelance projects) and my story journal for writing down ideas as they come to me.
So far, this old-new system is working well for me, though we are only on day three. I think that my biggest hurdle will be making sure I have weekly planning sessions with myself. But if I can manage that, I think this is sustainable…as long as I don’t completely rewrite it during the inevitable next cycle of creativity.
The next phase of the cycle to tackle is the burnout. Is there a way to maintain the well of creativity without becoming depleted? Hopefully I’ll have that answer when I write the next blog post.
Here’s that link to the writing archetype quiz, if anyone is interested. I’m not affiliated with Cynthia Merrill, but I found this interesting and helpful.
