We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ellis Elliott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ellis below.
Hi Ellis , thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
As a ballet teacher and writer, creativity blocks are so familiar they could take a seat beside me. In dance, it comes when I realize I’ve used the exact same 16 counts in 3 different dances I’m choreographing, and in writing it comes when I do so much procrastinating on a writing project I forget what I’m working on in the first place. For both of these endeavors I have learned, with lots of trial and error, that nothing lasts forever. Some of the approaches I have used is giving myself permission to make something really bad, and in the process, loosen the grip of my perfectionism.
I will also switch gears to some other creative outlet. My hobby is miniatures, so I might put a dollhouse together, which allows my brain to quit obsessing over what I’m not doing. Again, I am making room to allow other ideas to come in. My hobby feels like playing to me, and I think play is critical to fueling the engines of our creativity.
Finally, I’m a big believer that movement is a great way to get creative juices flowing. Whether it is by taking a walk, doing yoga, or giving myself a stretch/dance break, it gets me out of my head and into my body. Movement stimulates the nervous system, reducing the stress hormone, and allowing anxiety over creative blocks to lessen.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
. I facilitate an online writing group called Bewilderness Writing. It is a simple process where I give a poem prompt with jump-off lines, and then we free-write, pen to page without stopping, for about 8 minutes. We then read what we’ve written and repeat the same process again. It is a nurturing, intimate technique that opens your creative barriers and gives your writing the boost it sometimes needs.
Our focus is not on “good” writing. Instead, it is our goal to let our “subconscious make a mess on the page” by allowing ourselves to follow the non-linear side of our minds. We are often surprised by what comes up and out on the page, and the combination of writing and voices is truly beautiful.
We meet online once a week for one hour. Sessions are usually 6-weeks long and are purposely kept small in order for everyone to participate. There are many that sign-up for repeated sessions.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Not letting age be a barrier- I went back to grad school for my MFA at age 55, something I had wanted to do for a very long time.
2. Willingness to take risks-there are no guarantees that you will succeed, but you never know if you don’t. If it’s something you really want, you’ll be willing to try.
3. Follow what you love and be willing to work for it-from running a dance studio to leading Bewilderness Writing, I’ve had the gift of doing what I love, but you have to be willing to put yourself out there, to believe in what you are doing enough to put the necessary work in.
My advice would be to never stop learning, to believe that it’s never too late to begin again, and to surround yourself with people that believe in and support you.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
My number one strategy is to take whatever is overwhelming me and break it down into manageable pieces. I stop spinning the story into an imagined future failure, and just look at what’s immediately in front of me. What small thing can I do right now? It can be five minutes of brainstorming on the page or reading a writer I admire. Frequently, those five minute become an hour because I’ve lessened the pressure on myself. I will remember past feelings of overwhelm and recall what I did and how I worked my way through it. Knowing I’ve overcome it before gives me confidence that I can do it again.
I bring awareness to my self-talk, which can be way worse than anything I’d say to another person. I tamp it down, turn it off, or try to turn it around.
Finally, I know the basis of overwhelm is fear, so I try to break down exactly what it is I’m afraid of. This usually results in a reality check of my tendency to overdramatize, and therefore I gain a more realistic perspective of what I’m dealing with.
Author of poetry collection, Break in the Field, published by Devil’s Party Press. Available on Amazon.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bewildernesswriting.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewildernesswriting
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliselliott2020
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/ellis-gatewood-elliott-30ab4059
Image Credits
Gorman House Photography, Des Moines, Iowa
