Make something. Write something.

This is a really good time to make something. (I focus on writing fiction, because that’s clearly my creativity-of-choice. But honestly, I mean creativity in general.)

“Make something?” I imagine you say, possibly with some strong feels. “Do you know what’s happening right now?” 

The answer is: yes, I do see what’s going on. That’s exactly why I feel like it’s a good idea to make something.

1.

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, and a lot of fear as well. This combo is often very intense, and often, as a coping mechanism, your brain will make up a narrative to explain something as an effort. In other words, it’ll manufacture less-than-accurate certainty in an effort to give you some relief from the increased fear that comes when EVERYTHING feels uncertain. 

Since my brain is primed to make up stories anyway, I would much rather use that energy to write some fun fiction instead of letting it run amok unattended. Most crafted stories, such as fiction, have a beginning, middle, and an end, which is a more useful certainty than the less-than-accurate kind. 

(Reading is also a good alternative if you’re not a writer/having trouble concentrating on your own scenes right now.) 

2.

You can explore big, complicated questions through a story, much more thoroughly than in an essay or other forms of nonfiction. (See more about emotional entry points in the Shelbish Glossary.)

For example, I wrote a few weeks ago about starting to wonder: where does human conflict come from, and how do we fix it? (I was a teen. This may explain the epic scope of such a question.) Then I wrote a novel about a Romeo-and-Juliet-style fantasy romance between two kids from factions that had been warring for millennia, asking the central question: how does an ancient war get started? What would it take to end it.

This may sound heavy, but it was very fun. The story featured unicorns who could take human form, fly, time-travel, etc. Also, unlike Shakespeare’s version, needless death was kept to a minimum, and mostly everyone lived.

Writing a story usually helps you step beyond the realm of yes/no answers into the textured nuance of growth over time, because it’s hard to boil dynamic characters into a judgment of right and wrong. (Again, reading fiction can have a similar effect.)

3.

Fiction itself is a break from the world, whether you are writing it or reading it.

Critics have often dismissed novels as “escapism” - a consistent pattern since novels started to become popular in the end of the eighteenth century.

To which, I say, “So What?”

Other form of escapism include: excessive TV, substance abuse, internet rabbit holes, social media addiction, etc. There are pretty obvious draw backs to each of those. Fiction is pretty tame in comparison, so I think of it instead as a “healthy escape.”

And I mean, literally healthy.

I heard about a scientific study that showed that reading for less than 10 minutes reduces stress in a measurable way, slowing heart rates and relaxing muscles. 

So, sometimes, when I wake up and find myself feeling a bit unnerved by the state of the world, I grab a novel and read a chapter before I do anything else. Or I set a timer and let myself draft the next scene before my mind is fully awake. Then I feel more settled for the rest of the day. 

In my experience, sinking into the flow of writing something calms me in the same way.

(But I admit though that I have had to learn to be gentle with myself when the words come too slowly for my liking—that’s a whole different post, though. This one has gotten long enough.)

Again, just sharing some of what has been helping me. Decide for yourself if it’s right for you.

Take care, sweet ones.

Originally published via Instagram on 9/16/20.