Hi Erica, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
Over the years, I’ve experimented with an abundance of writing methods from some of history’s most creative minds in search of what may deter my own writer’s block. I’ve tried writing 2,000 words a day, staining my teeth purple, rising at dawn, walking for hours, and have now reached a place where my own method of creativity has emerged as a conglomeration of the bits and pieces that stuck to me along the way. I’ve found two tools most fruitful in fighting my way out of a rut, routine and curiosity.
In routine, I first found a lot of resistance. “I don’t want to force myself to be creative, I will just wait for inspiration to strike, and then I’ll write,” I told myself. I see in hindsight the amount of time that could’ve spent writing that I instead spent waiting. When I first tried to force myself to write, I stared at the blank page and watched the minutes go by without writing a single word. In this frustrating time, I noticed how I could so effortlessly pick up a pen and write in my journal nonstop for over an hour without pause, so why couldn’t I do the same with fiction writing? The difference was in the routine. I’ve been consistently journaling since I was ten years old. Journaling has become so second nature that it takes me no time to shift into a reflective recording headspace. I wanted to feel this way with fiction writing too, so I started writing daily, pushing my creativity more than ever before, and I started seeing results.
I beat my blank page blues by starting with a free write. I set a ten minute timer and immediately started writing in a free-flow state. Whatever came up, I didn’t push against it. I didn’t give myself space to overthink, I just wrote. This practice warmed me so when the timer went off, I was already in a state of flow that seamlessly transitioned to writing my stories. I’ve used this free write warm-up method for writing a novel, short stories, screenplays, and poetry. This routine has worked effectively in getting me in a creative headspace for all these forms. Something soon switched where I deeply felt that I needed to write and I needed to write all the time. I needed to write freely, I needed to write unabashedly, and I needed to write poorly. In reading my bad writing, I evaluated the WHY behind why I didn’t like a particular piece of writing. Was it the pace? The lack of specificity? The word choice? Writing poorly granted me another tool to sharpen my writing style. All this to say, forcing yourself to write isn’t a bad thing. Even if you’re feeling uninspired and still make yourself create something that you don’t like, you’ve still worked out your creative muscle. You’ve still made SOMETHING that you are able to observe and reflect on. Scheduling time for creativity is never time wasted.
Curiosity, on the other hand, shifts my perspective from just moving through the motions of life uninspired to being an active, creative participant. Instead of letting waves hit and push me around, I become acutely aware of the way the sunlight sparkles off the water, its cool touch on my neck, the roar of rip currents, the smell of sulfur, and the taste of salt. If I’m ever stuck creatively, I often start with my senses. I tune into the details of my environment and write what I notice. All at once, everything around me begins breathing with such life and vibrance that my hand can’t write fast enough to keep up with my senses. In doing this practice, I’ve found new ways to express my experience through creativity, shining a light on parts of my world that were once overlooked and mundane but now hold an entirely new meaning in my life.
My deep love and curiosity for psychology, sociology, art, and philosophy have also followed me throughout my life, but only in the last few years have I learned how to develop these interests into something creatively fulfilling by exploring my questions of life and the human experience through writing. As a practice of curiosity, if you’re ever in a rut, try people-watching. Watch closely and ask yourself what is the “why” behind every move they make, everything they say, and, sometimes more interestingly, what’s left unspoken. We’re all so full of such rich emotion, complexity, and instinct that I can’t get enough of it! I’ve learned how to weave my observations throughout my work to write realistic characters, create immersive settings, refine themes, form metaphors, and establish tone. Staying curious and open-minded will always evoke inspiration for me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a writer! I have written a literary fiction novel and multiple short stories, screenplays, and poetry.
In 2019, I wrote my first draft for a literary fiction novel from March to June. Since then, I’ve queried for literary agents, worked with an editor, shared with beta readers, and have been diligently editing the story for the last four years. I’m hopeful that 2024 will be the year I find a literary agent and sign a book deal!
Aside from writing, I’m also a filmmaker and overall creative person. At the beginning of 2023 I directed my first short film that I wrote, “Undercurrents” that became a nominee at the LA Independent Women Film Awards. At the end of 2023, I was the Assistant Director and a Producer for my dear friend Zoie Ellis’ short film that she wrote, directed, AND acted in, “Luce & Lee”. In addition to these two projects, I’ve produced, assistant directed, and written for a few smaller indie films.
I’ve found a burst of motivation and creative energy these last few years, largely due to my writers group, The Lighthouse, that Zoie and I have formed. The Lighthouse is a place to share ideas, provide feedback, practice writing, plan our projects, laugh, and sometimes cry. I’m so thankful for Zoie’s friendship and The Lighthouse for providing a beacon of belief in my creative soul!
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?
Love, vulnerability, and patience.
Love from my family and friends who believe in my creativity keep me motivated, confident in my work, and help me feel less alone in my attempt to create things. My love for writing itself also keeps me motivated. If I didn’t have a journal and creative writing as an outlet to process, analyze, and feel my emotions and express my thoughts, I would be miserable. Love is also a common theme in my writing. Romantic love, loss of love, friendship love, familial love, love of life, love of the natural world, love the abstract, love, or lack thereof, of self. Love is powerful. Exploring where you can find love in both your real life and in your art can make everything so much more interesting.
Vulnerability is also a necessary skill in creativity. A significant part of the creative process is sharing what you’ve created with others, which can be terrifying and hold people back from making anything in the first place. At first, it may be uncomfortable to share parts of your soul with someone, worried that if they don’t like what you made, they must not like that part of you, but so be it. I’ve, thankfully, always been okay with knowing that not everyone will like the things I make, and I wouldn’t want everyone to like everything I make anyway. Instead of worrying that someone won’t like what I’ve made, I watch eagerly, waiting for someone to come along who will connect with it. The points of connection that emerge make me feel less alone in seeing that someone else in the world has felt the same way I have. The potential for connection that comes from vulnerability is worth it.
Patience is still something I don’t have sorted out entirely myself. Creative writing has the benefit of being easily accessible, all you need is a writing tool or keyboard, and you can watch in real-time as the thoughts spinning around in your head are strung along into pretty prose and verse and come alive. Writing is instantly gratifying at first, but then you decide you want to change one little thing. Then you want to shift a few lines around. Then you have a whole new idea entirely and need to rewrite everything. Writing can just as quickly transform from what started as a small idea to spending hours mulling over each word, breath, and beat. If you stick with it, though, if your heart is still in it, the time spent on feedback, revisions, and breakdowns is worth it to see the final story come to life. When it comes to getting published, I’m still learning patience here. If you have any words of wisdom here, please do share them with me.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Always! I love talking and working with other creative people.
There are no limits to who I’m open to connecting with. I love all things creative, from writing to painting, film, ceramics, photography, fashion, and so on. I think it’s cool when different creative arts intersect, so if that’s something you’re interested in also, let me know!
At the moment, I’m especially keeping my eye out for literary agents as I’m preparing to send out a round of query letters for my novel, so if you’re an agent or have a referral, please feel free to reach out!
If you’re interested in ever working together or just want to say hi and be friends, you can find me on Instagram @erica_sullivan.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erica_sullivan/
- @erica_sulliva
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-sullivan-41880a172/
