30 days of writing, 50,000 words - impossible? It does sound totally overwhelming, but taking part in NaNoWriMo is one of the fastest ways to go from 0 words to a finished first draft.
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Lots of us feel trapped or stifled when we impose a sense of structure or routine on our days. Maybe it's the inner rebel in us, the feeling that we just don't like being told what to do and when (even when we're the ones telling ourselves). But good routines, with good habits, can be hugely beneficial in building a lifestyle that allows the time and energy we need to be creative.
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A steady, flowing creative output needs plenty of input in order to keep running smoothly. We can top up that creative well with lots of different things, including time with friends, regular walks and fresh air - and of course, by consuming the art of others.
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It's not always easy to tell if we need a break. With all the guilt and doubt that often surrounds taking time away from our creative passions or creative businesses, it's hardly surprising that the issue of time off is one that often feels a little loaded. Sometimes, or course, we simply can't take a break. We have income to make, clients to serve, deadlines (self imposed or otherwise) to meet.
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We can’t create with consistency and dedication if we’re run down or ill. The relationship between art and work and productivity is a complicated one for lots of us. But whether you rely on it to pay the bills or not, your art’s presence in your day-to-day and what to do when you’re ill can be difficult to figure out. Just in the same way that a self-employed person must take care of their
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When we do anything creative, we're asking ourselves to make lots and lots of decisions. Some of those are the obvious, visible kind (what colour should that be? Is that the right word?), and some are less tangible, the instinctual decisions we make without even realising (like when we place a mug on a flatlay photograph without really thinking about it). All of those little conscious and
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