I always feel reinvigorated during November to be creative, and writing is a wonderful creative outlet for me:

I can write a story I want to read.

I can journal what God is saying through Scripture.

I can cry out to the Lord through poetry.

I can sort through what He is teaching me.

Yet, there have been seasons – long, long seasons – when I have wondered if I would ever be able to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, and write again. The creative well was dry. The well-oiled machine that is my imagination had come to a jarring halt.

….

….

….

Then suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly, ideas began to take shape again, the cogs in my mind started to move, and words formed into sentences.

One of the ways I have worked to combat the dry spells was to simply write. I didn’t care if it sounded good or bad or if it made sense – I just needed keep the habit of writing.

Below are some other ways I have applied grease to the cogs of my mind so the writing gears turn once more:

Listen to a movie score or a classical piece and let the music speak to my soul.

Read. Read about things that interest me, things that spark my imagination.

Take a walk outside and observe what nature is doing.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.

I like connecting or reconnecting with friends and family, but sometimes it’s too easy for me to compare my life to another’s.

I like following authors, bloggers, pocasters, and vloggers, but sometimes there are so many updates I end up spending hours catching up with people I’ve never met instead of sitting with a friend or spending time in prayer for someone.

I like writing book reviews (and I like to blog!), but sometimes I worry too much about the opinions of those I don’t know.

I like seeing others’ ideas for baking, cooking, decorating, and sewing, but sometimes it’s too easy for me to become discouraged.

The following Bible verses have been ones I try to remember when I think about social media:

Colossians 3:2-3

Philippians 4:4-9

Psalm 46:10

I am so thankful for the poetry, theologically sound doctrine, and music that most hymns provide; they revitalize and invigorate my soul.

I enjoy the euphonious and mellifluous tunes which sink deeply into my spirit. Even if I don’t know the tune to a hymn, I still let the words speak to my heart and mind, for hymns remind me of who God is, rather than who I am.

Here are some of my favourite hymns:

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” – words by Thomas O. Chisholm, music by William M. Runyan

“How Great Thou Art” – words and music by Stuart K. Hine

“It Is Well With My Soul” – words by Horatio G. Spafford, music by Philip P. Bliss

I have only recently come to truly enjoy the beauty God has created with the passing of the seasons.

In springtime, God gives us rain and the world is full of colours. This is a time of renewal, of hope.

In summertime, God gives us long days full of light. This is a time of possibilities and anticipation.

In autumn, God gives us an abundance of foods. This time of harvest brings families and friends together.

In wintertime, God gives us snow and the world is quiet. This time is a reminder that resting is required.

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Music is magic. I am very eclectic in my musical tastes, and I have recently realized I thoroughly enjoy classical music and movie scores.

Below are a few of my favourite composers:

Joel Clarkson – I find Joel Clarkson’s music to be relaxing and inspiring. His music makes me want to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book.

John Williams – Whenever I listen to John Williams’ movie scores I will typically listen to them two or three times in a row. The stories they tell leave me wanting to revisit his musical worlds again and again.

Ludwig van Beethoven – With symphonies that sound as though nature itself were singing, Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions make me want to venture outside and enjoy the world.