Merry Christmas, everyone, if you celebrate. Either way, I hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful holiday.
I find the holidays an especially creative time of year. Even with all the hoopla and festivities (I'm having 21 people over for Christmas Eve tonight, including 2 kids and a nephew who will be dressing as Santa to entertain them, plus 2 pugs, 2 cats and 1 German Shorthair) and the time necessarily spent away from writing, my creative juices are flowing.
Because, after all,what we celebrate is a birth. 
Whatever your religion the nativity story is an inspiring one. Taken purely on a symbolic basis, it is a powerful allegory for what it takes to bring light to the world. Both Joseph and Mary (who was a mere teenager) had to endure hardship, criticism from their communities, and undertake a grueling journey in order to birth their baby.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, but every creative project is a birth. A creative life is made up of a whole series of them. And sometimes, along the way, we get overwhelmed with the demands of taking care of our babies. Because, you know, infants and children are a flippin' demanding lot. Sometimes it is helpful to step back and look at how we're dealing with them. So when the festivities are over, take out your pen and paper and ponder the following questions:
1. What am I birthing?
2. What do I need to let go of to bring it to fruition?
3. What do I need to start doing to facilitate it?
4. What do I need to stop doing?
5. How will I tend this project once I've brought it into the world?
And in the mean time, a Merry, Merry Christmas to all.
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Photograph by lumix 2004, via Everystockphoto.
J.D. Frost
What a great post, Charlotte. The carving is beautiful, as well. I hope you had a great Christmas. I did. For some reason, I am very optimistic about 2011. Not particularly from a publication standpoint, though that would be nice, I just feel that we are due a good cycle. My best wishes for you. J.D.
Charlotte Dixon
J.D., I’m optimistic, too. Maybe because I’m pretty determined to make next year better than this one. Not that this one was bad, but just from the standpoint of wanting to constantly improve. And let’s keep fingers crossed for publication for both you and me.
Kim, thanks.
Kim
“What Book (or Writing Projects) Will You Birth?”; use the hero’s journey at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html
Roy Burkhead
Charlotte: 21 people over for Christmas Eve! Hope you survived. And I hope that you had a Merry Christmas. All my best, Roy
Charlotte Dixon
Roy, It was the best Christmas Eve ever, we had a blast. Numerous bottles of wine and beer helped…hope you had a merry one, too.
Patrick Ross
Great post, Charlotte. I’ve decided to dust off and revise a novel I wrote five years ago and promptly put on a shelf. A friend who is an editor read it recently and told me I’ve got something to work with. I then read the book on Christmas Day (while the kids played their new videogames) and it was both familiar and new, but better than I remembered. Would this be a “rebirth”? :)
Charlotte Dixon
Oh Patrick, I’m so excited for you! This is definitely a rebirth! You’re inspiring me, I’ve been thinking about returning to a novel I wrote and put on the shelf. I think with the wisdom I’ve gained over the years I can go deeper and make it a better novel and I bet the same will be true for you.