So, you’re the creative type. You write, edit, sing, draw, act, all of the above. Do you have a process?

I think we all do, but sometimes we don’t always realize it. I’m a perfect example. For the longest time, I didn’t realize that I actually had a “process.” A writing process. A series of habits strung together to help me find the creativity dwelling in my soul, that sometimes gets stuck in the cracks instead of percolating with a ferocity that leaves me proud.

Life is busy, and the busier I am, the harder it is for me to tap into the good things I want to put on paper. And sometimes what I write isn’t good. In fact, it’s drivel. Awful. Simply terrible. But instead of honouring the fact that I wrote at all, I berate myself for not creating pure genius every time I set pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Some days, it’s a big win to just get some words out, even if they’re on a scrap napkin or the corner of a file at work, and I need to remember that. At best, I wrote something that will turn into something amazing down the line. At worst, I wrote.

And my writing process helps me sink into that warm place. First, for me, it’s all about the tunes and the perfect cup of coffee in the same Starbucks mug. Have you ever checked out 8tracks.com? If you haven’t, you need to. You can search different tags, depending on the mood you’re in, and find the perfect playlist to have in the background. Lately, I’ve been digging the soundtracks and orchestral pieces, like the Harry Potter suite (yes, I know I’m a dork.) They’re the perfect moody selections to add the background music to my writings. As for the coffee, I’ve got this amazing Starbucks mug I got when I was in Hawaii (Maui, specifically), and it’s just sort of become my writing mug. It’s the one I use for every French press of coffee I make while writing. Maybe it’s superstition, but it works. Coffee just tastes better and the ideas flow better.

What is your writing, or creative, process?

I usually start a project at home, work for a few hours, and then head out to my favourite Starbucks location in Victoria: Cadboro Bay. Since I was in university, this has been my favourite place to work. It’s busy, but not loud, and the energy is just right. I can’t explain it other than it feels like home to me. Even when I lived in Calgary, I longed to be able to come to this location and work for a few hours. Whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening, this is my go-to.

The biggest change to my writing process I’ve made in the last year or so is going back to writing with paper and pen. Some writers I’ve talked to say that this method gets them stuck further in their brains, but I find that it lets me loose. It releases me from the internal dialogue of, “Is this good enough? What a terrible thing for a character to say. Oh, god, what kind of idea is that?” I simply write. I let everything go and let the words come. I’ve found recently that some of my biggest eurekas have come when I’ve zoned out and don’t realize how much I’ve written until I’m at the bottom of another page. When I go back and read what I’ve put down, I smile with the hope that maybe everything will be okay, the words are still there.

So, what does your writing process look like? What’re your habits that help to tap into the creative genius?

Let me know! I want to hear all about them.

Much love,
– k.