Happy New Year, friends. I hope your 2024 is going as well as mine, and that you’ve got 365 days of goals and dreams and plans all lined up. More importantly, I hope you’re as excited about your goals and dreams and plans as I am about mine. The new year is a chance to draw a line under the old and start fresh, so that’s what I’m doing. Each December I assign a theme to my upcoming year. Last year was about PRODUCTIVITY. This year, I’ve decided I’m going to be all about CREATIVITY.
I know what you might be thinking: But Veronica, you’re a fiction writer. Isn’t your whole job about creativity? Well yes, that is true. Making up stories and bringing characters to life takes a heck of a lot of creativity. But I’m looking at creativity of another sort, something to keep my proverbial cup overflowing with joy. Let me explain.
As I said, last year was about productivity. This was necessary for me, as I was coming off a year in which I had spent a majority of my time working on a massive project not related to my writing. This task took up so much of my time, energy, and life that when it was over, I decided I simply could never allow myself to become overwhelmed like that again. I resolved to spend the year developing systems and processes which would allow me to continue to move forward with the things I wanted to do, and to not allow outside tasks, projects and demands take over my life.
As a result, I have developed a number of productivity systems that work for me, and have spent the bulk of 2023 putting them into practice and making them habit. For example, I have an hour in the morning where I take care of my personal admin—reconciling our household budget, answering and categorizing emails, updating my son’s Google calendar which his father and I used to communicate about his schoolwork, etc. I have developed a functional planning system that works for me, in which I identify key tasks, and break out projects into component parts. And I have implemented a Second Brain with the digital platform Notion (modifying Tiago Forte’s concept to suit my purposes) to keep track of everything that’s going on in my life.
I am confident that these systems are now firmly in place, and productivity is something I’m able to carry forward as habit.
But life’s not all about productivity. It’s not all about output. It’s about input, too, and this is why creativity is my theme for 2024. To start with, sure, I write. But do I ever take time to sit down and simply follow a thought strand on paper to see where it takes me? Not as much as I’d like. Do I read? Not as much as I’d like. Do I pursue personal pleasures like sewing and knitting and gardening? You guessed, it… not as much as I’d like.
As a kid, I was an incredibly creative person. I was quite good at drawing, enjoyed being artistic, I participated in drama club, took dance lessons and piano lessons, and I had a distinct “Anything you can do I can do too” outlook on just about all things tactile. Somewhere along the lines, though, I’ve forgotten the simple pleasures of creative pursuits. I’ve forgotten that one cannot solely be about producing. One must also be engaged in creating.
And so this year, I have developed systems that will allow me to more effectively use my time to be creative. I’ve spent December compiling what I call my “Productivity Tote.” But don’t let the name fool you, it’s not just about productivity. It’s about creativity, too. This bag is my go-to source that I’ve been taking with me everywhere… everywhere realistic, of course. I take it with me in the car when I’m out doing errands, for example, in case I want to stop at a coffee shop for a tea. It’s not slung over my shoulder when I walk the dog.
Inside my productivity tote I have:
- A blank notebook to indulge in some of that thought string following. The first place I used this was at my son’s hockey game. While he was changing, I found a quiet corner at the arena to sit and explore a random concept; to breathe life into it with words.
- My Kindle so that if I don’t feel like creative writing, I can dive into the book that I’m currently reading. That one’s easy.
- My Analytical Novel and Notebook. This one needs a little bit of explaining. You see, my husband is really into the Fantasy genre. A few years ago, he tried to get me into Wheel of Time. I gave it a good go, but in the end it simply wasn’t for me. After discussing my whys with him, he is convinced that I’m going to love Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon. But he’s warned me that it’s such an involved series that I’ll also need to read expert content reviews after each chapter (my face to him if I were an emoji: 🤨 ) I’ve agreed to give it a try for his sake, but I’ve resolved to read it like I would if it had been material for a university course. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy the analytical process of reading, and so I keep a pen, a highlighter, the book itself and a companion notebook in my Productivity Tote for when the urge strikes me to dive into someone else’s creativity.
- My iPad, which, this year, I’m using like a laptop, so when I’m at a coffee shop or somewhere similar, I can spend time playing around in Notion.
- My gratitude journal where I write down small things that happened each day which made me happy. This way, I don’t have to remember what the thing was until I get home, I can capture it as soon as it happens for an immediate positivity boost… which often leads to a creativity boost.
- Pens, highlighters, pencils, markers, portable chargers, an extension cord, my iPad-compatible portable keyboard, a water bottle, and all the other little things that make using the things in my Productivity Tote possible and/or easier.
She is a heavy beast, my Productivity Tote, but I’ve loved having her with me so far, and I’ve definitely noticed a spike in my creativity—both in what I’m producing as well as in the quality of my thoughts and musings.
This year, I am also resolving to do those tactile creative things I used to love as a kid and a young adult. This Christmas, I bought myself a sewing machine. As a child, my mother taught me how to sew (I was about six when I made my first garment). As a teenager, I DIYd the crap out of learning to make my own clothes without a pattern. And now, many many years later, I’ve revived the talent and have been reminded of how much joy it brings me. I’ve even started a garden project plan that I’m working on a bit at a time. Instead of just heading to the garden centre in May to see what plants they’ve got, I’m putting together timelines of when I need to do what—order seeds that I can sprout myself, how these seeds are going to be laid out (I’m thinking a three-sisters garden in one spot… so far), and making sure the garden bed is ready to go in the spring (because we’ve had a heckin’ warm winter, and there is still time to remove debris and dig up hibernating weeds in January!). This has turned out to be a creative process for me, because it’s allowing me to dream and grow excited for spring. Looking forward to something is incredibly therapeutic for one’s overall creativity, it seems.
Of course, writing my novels is, and will remain, the most important thing to me. But focusing on creative pursuits means that I don’t resent the time I spend on writing. I’m still able to do those things that bring me joy as well, even if they have nothing to do with my books or my blogging. Last year I spent time putting systems in place so that I can continue to be productive. This year, I’m reaping the benefits of the extra time I’ve managed to claw back from my work life as a result of these systems, and I’m now doing the creative things I love to do as well.
Wish me luck.
What about you? What are your goals, plans and dreams for 2024? How are you going to achieve them? I’d love to hear from you, dear friends.
Veronica Bale's Blog 
Leave a comment