In which a bunch of authors & editors are invited to answer the question: How do you deal with creative exhaustion?
Whenever I find myself at a point beyond which I can’t see where to go because it’s all been too much emotionally, I play. I play with ideas; I play with crafts; I play with food; I play with kids (of all ages); I play on the internet; I read books of all kinds; I watch TV; I sit on committees; I go shopping; I go for walks; I folkdance; I play with ideas (and call it research): I do a whole range of things that aren’t writing and don’t directly contribute to my writing. Creative exhaustion fades magically and all I’m left with is a faint sense of guilt for having a good time. Writing for me is partly about integrating play with work – get the balance right and even exhaustion can be creative.
– Some of Gillian’s less fictional writing can be found at BiblioBuffet and elsewhere