A Nutty Kind of Wisdom

Early yesterday morning, I sat at this keyboard, fingers at the ready, attempting to force out creativity that might miraculously advance my latest novel toward some sparkling conclusion in the next couple of months. Picture, if you will, flushing rocks down a toilet and expecting them to go somewhere. Okay, now you know how hopeless my effort was, regardless of the pain in my head that followed. That pain was the only thing created.


Later, I finally gave up, grabbed a bowl full of freshly gather pecans, snatched up the cracker and then headed for the front porch. I was wearing shorts, flip-flops and a sleeveless T-shirt in eighty degree weather and began shelling pecans. The fact that it’s December and so warm is a complaint and a post for a different day. I will say, though; if I wanted this kind of weather in the last month of the year, I’d move to the tropics and at least have a beach nearby, but, enough of that.

Back to creativity; here’s something I’ve known all along but apparently needed to be reminded of, as do all people that have anything to do with the arts: Ideas and brilliant thoughts occur only when the head is clear of extraneous influences. A mindless endeavor like shelling pecans is a good way to make ideas flow, or working out at the gym, or jogging –things that require no brainpower. Forcing creativity does... not... work... ever. I’ll debate it with anyone because my mind is firmly set on this issue.

There are extremely talented novelists that are far above my pay grade that do inspired work. I’ve read novels that were so good, I committed to following the author’s work from then on, only to discover the next one to be disappointing and, maybe, the third one as well.

Dare I go so far as to call them crap? Ooh, close call, but yeah I will.

And then, a couple of years will pass and the same author will release another inspired work. In retrospect, I’m convinced that what transpired was strictly a commercial commitment. It appeared that the author agreed to a multi-book deal – the second and third written solely to sell on the weight of the author’s name.

Would I do this? Hell, yeah! What author in his/her right mind would turn it down? But, it’s not the point I’m trying to make. It simply spotlights that inspired writing requires inspiration. Yes, a fat paycheck is one form but, again, not my point. I’m speaking specifically and only of creative inspiration.

So, here’s the thing: On those days you feel as though your brain has lost every wrinkle and glossed over like the proverbial cueball, then grab a bowl of pecans and hit the porch... or something like that.

Have a great day, y’all.