I’ve been awake since 3 am. Nothing beckons creativity like a cold, quiet December morning with three hours of sleep and a joltingly strong cup of coffee. Today sparked something in me to finally share what my creativity looked like in the year 2020.
Thank you, Lindsay Lonai Linegar 🌼, for the invite — what a beautiful sweet soul you are. If I could, I would hug you right now.
Following Linsday’s lead, here’s a short-and-sweet list of three things that fueled my creativity, like a steaming hot cup of Death Wish Coffee.
My Divorce
Creative Humans is not a space where I want to bring the toxicity of my dissolution. However, it was a life-changing event for me, and ultimately, that “straw” that broke my back that everyone’s been talking about. Dismantling my marriage and family piece by piece forced me to take a real hard look at my life. It was the ultimate test of letting go. It forced me to let go of the things out of my control and end relationships that weren’t serving me anymore (and that were downright disrespectful, quite frankly). Which, in the end, freed my soul to write more than I ever have and turn not-giving-a-crap into that subtle art Mark Manson so excitedly talks about.
COVID-19
With all things considered, I’ve had a lot more time to write. I think we all have had a little more downtime than we expected this year. My heart swells with sadness and joy in equal measure for the effects this pandemic brought upon us. People have lost their loved ones, their jobs, their homes, their marriages, and their stability as they knew it. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for those who have had to say goodbye to loved ones without sitting by their bedside holding their hand as they took their last breath. Or the families who have lost their primary source of income and have to choose between groceries or paying rent.
I wish I could buy you all houses and fill them up with warm blankets and snacks.
The year 2020 has been undeniably wretched (and unforgettable), but I believe with all my heart that we’ve grown as a human race inhabiting this earth together. We are all trying to get through this Pandemic one day at a time together — at a respectable distance.
I noticed people are kinder and more forgiving, more Christmas lights lit up the neighborhoods this year, and we got a chance (or had no choice) to look at the way we connect with this world, and the people in it, and reevaluate for the better.
For all those things, I am grateful — as bittersweet as they may taste.
Going Back To School At Thirty-Eight
I have to pass my classes. I. Have. To. My life and children’s lives depend on me getting a better education and a better job to support us. I’ve been so laser-focused on doing well that I’ve managed to harness the true meaning of time management, possibly for the first time in my life. Having a full-time school load plus part-time work and two kids in distance learning lined up my ducks, i.e., priorities, quicker than you can say, “Quack, quack!” Do you know what else I learned? Writing is also a priority for me — a big one. It’s necessary for my healing right now (and probably forever). It’s always been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. But this year (and into the next), I’ve conditioned myself to treat it more like something I must do for my future and overall well-being.
So far, so good!
In 2019 I published fifty-five articles. I’m wrapping up this year with one-hundred and fifteen under my belt. No, I’m not making money angels in my bedroom with those numbers, but considering that it used to take me months to publish one article a few years ago — I am proud of my increased productivity.
And since I moved back in with my parents, I have access to jam sessions with my dad 24/7 again — like the good ol’ days.
Kind of a creative double-whammy if you ask me.
The year 2020 delivered truck-load after truck-load of lemons to me like I owned a considerable amount of stock in Amazon. I don’t. But I’ve managed to lean into my creativity like never before and whip up an ice-cold glass of refreshingly sweet-and-tart lemonade.
Next year, I hope you can too.
I want to extend this writing prompt to anyone and everyone looking at their screen right now. The following baker’s dozen of writers who I would love to hear from are:
Kara Summers, J. Matthew Peabody, Quy Ma, Roy Batty, James Knight, Michael Burg, MD, Aimée Gramblin, Michelle Brown, Rebecca Earl, Mike D., Katie Michaelson, Ryan DeJonghe, and Rice & Beans.
*Questions to consider when replying:
What did your creativity look like in 2020?
How has it helped/hurt you?
What do you want it to look like in 2021?
Most importantly, talk to us. We are all in this together and want to hear what you have to say.
Sidenote: I get zero credit for the affiliate links in this article. I just want to spread the love. We need it.
Thank you for your love and support. ❤
2020 Divina Grey. All Rights Reserved.
Divina Grey is a ferocious woman and mother rebuilding her life one article at a time. She likes long walks on the beach, singing and playing her guitar, an electrifying workout, and a cup of coffee so decadent she can feel the frothiness in her bones. Over the last twenty-five years, Divina has stockpiled a collection of used journals in an elegant wooden chest and is oozing with gratitude for the chance to share her staggering long-time love of writing with the world.
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Previously published on medium
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Photo credit: on istock
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