Australian activist Christine Caine once said, “Sometimes when you find yourself in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” I saw that quote shared to a Facebook page this week, and it made me think about my past few months and how I’ve felt buried in darkness. Christine is right, of course, and in hindsight I know I’ve planted in a better place so I can bloom in the coming months with my creativity.
Sometimes, you feel like you’re buried and can’t see the light of creative energy anywhere. That’s where I’ve been for the past few months. It’s felt like a string of one obstacle after another, all pivoting on a bittersweet first trimester that has left me feeling both so excited for the future and so miserable in the present.
It’s been a real trial to work on my novel, let alone the manuscripts for work. I didn’t ask for a vacation; I didn’t want a break. I lost out on a publishing opportunity because I was too sick to work on the rewrites. I felt like I was buried under this sensation of ill-being.
But now that I’m wiggling my way out of my darkness, I’ve come to realize that the inadvertent break from my creative pursuits has allowed me to germinate a new perspective on productivity and creative expression. And I wanted to share some thoughts with you all.
1. “Buried” is dead, but “planted” is life
It’s OKAY to be still.
If you feel deprived of your creative outlet, don’t panic. Your creativity hasn’t died, it’s simply maturing in your subconscious. So the very first step to escaping the claustrophobic feeling of being buried in the darkness is to don a cloak of joyous expectation for the dawn. Just keep your eyes open, heart bare, and trust that when you sprout from this dormant season, you’ll bloom bigger and brighter than ever before. It’s okay to be still right now.
Now that I feel better and am returning to a regular writing/editing schedule, I’m discovering a renewed passion and focus in the craft that I didn’t have before. 100% worth the wait.
2. inching forward is still progress
You may wish you had the writing prowess you did back in NaNoWriMo when you pounded out thousands of words a day. Maybe you’re frustrated that you only wrote two sentences today. But you know what? You need to celebrate every word you put to the page. Those are a few dozen words more than you had yesterday. Mighty oaks start as acorns, and every great story starts with “Once upon a time.”
Just because you’re in a dark place and can’t see the fruit of your creative spirit doesn’t mean you’ve been deprived of your other senses. Use this time of dormancy to build up other outlets of creativity besides writing, and celebrate the use of these other “senses.”
mighty oaks start as acorns.
3. gardens aren’t composed of single seeds
You belong to a garden of creative spirits.
You’re not the only one in this creative drought, and there are others in your writing community who can encourage you as you wait to sprout. I felt ashamed that I wasn’t able to go full steam ahead and hid my struggles for several weeks before finally talking about it with my writer friends. Guys. The sheer amount of encouragement and love that I got from my writing group left me in tears—and that’s not just the pregnancy hormones at work. (Those pop up when I’m watching Planet Earth.) No one can write your words but you, BUT when you surround yourself with others in a creative garden, you’ll realize that it’s not too bad to be planted amongst these beautiful souls. Whatever you contribute, whether it’s a full bloom or a small sprout or even just the promise of novels to come, you feel a sense of purpose with your role in this garden.
4. Trellises sold separately
It’s not enough to just want to grow strong in your writing routine. You have to intentionally build structure and support for yourself to accomplish your goals. An exercise habit takes dedication. A bedtime routine takes practice and repetition. Sitting in your dark place is a wonderful time to germinate, but part of that process unfortunately also includes the deterioration of past habits and routines. You’re gonna have to start from scratch, my friends, and it’s going to be hard work. Sit down and plan out your creative exercises for the week so you have a trellis to guide your upward momentum as you get back in shape.
Build a trellis to guide your upward growth.
5. seasons are part of god’s plan
Don’t view your period of dormancy as failure on your part.
Say it with me: “You’re. Not. Meant. To. Always. Be. On.” We need the seasons to give life a chance to slow down, reset, and prepare for a brighter spring. Don’t view your period of dormancy as a failure on your part. You’re not failing anyone or anything. You’re restructuring yourself in preparation for a growth spurt.
Beating myself up on my inability to work as hard as I did this time last year only made my darkness feel more complete. It didn’t help me grow where I’ve been planted. You’ll find your spark of inspiration and momentum again, and, guess what? You’ll find yourself planted again in the future. It’s OK. Take each season of life that’s gifted to you as an opportunity to learn, grow, and help others.
Need help Getting out of your dark place?
Schedule a coaching call today!
In our session, we’ll work together to find your creative why and structure a writing routine that’ll guide you to casting your characters and plotting out your chapters, ultimately putting you on track to finish your first draft this year.
Amber Helt is the managing editor and writing coach at Rooted in Writing. She has her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing with certificates in French and linguistics. She’s the co-chair of the North Texas chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association and teaches workshops on writing and editing throughout Dallas. Amber writes dark fantasy and is currently working on her novel, Grimm Reality.
You can hang out with her on Instagram and Twitter @Amber.Helt.
