Hello. How are we today? I’m feeling a little blue myself. You know, a little anxious for no particular reason, a little sad that I should feel anxious at this age, you know, a little self-conscious anxiety resulting in nonspecific sadness: a state that I call “blue.” ~Man in Chair from The Drowsy Chaperone
Today was one of those days where everything came into focus, the lights came on, the world sparkled in technicolor, and I had the energy of 2015-me.
There was no overt reason for this. I had some sort of reaction to my new face wash resulting in serious splotchy face, the truck didn’t start and I had to call roadside assistance, and then I forgot my work badge at home so when I finally got there, I had to be escorted into the building. So why all this energy?
If you're like me, you might have experienced a case of the blahs this winter—a time when inspiration took a long nap under a cozy blanket and left you in the cold. Or as my friend “Man in Chair” calls it, blue.
Today, I found myself buzzing with energy, a state my mom described as having ants in my pants. It took me a moment to figure out why, until my boss casually suggested, "Maybe it's the sun." And that simple comment unraveled a key realization: We've been in the midst of a bleak midwinter. Here in Colorado, the sun goes behind the mountains before I leave work most days, so I wanted to cave, as my son and I call it, even though I should be writing.
It's easy to retreat indoors, to hibernate along with the rest of nature. Even animals understand that winter is a time for rest and rejuvenation. So, why do we push ourselves to set resolutions on January 1st, expecting an immediate bloom of productivity? January is probably one of the least productive times! Perhaps we should make Spring Resolutions instead.
As I mentioned in my last post, the solstice marks the day when the light returns. Each day we earn back a minute of daylight, so now, two months later (oh, god, has it been that long since I’ve posted?), we have a full extra hour of daylight. My boss joked that he might need his sunglasses after work soon. We were practically buoyant at the thought.
Tonight at my weekly sprint group was the first time I’ve felt joy at writing, joy for writing and joy in the act of writing, probably since the solstice.
The sunlight today reminded me that inspiration doesn’t follow a calendar. Instead of forcing motivation in the depths of winter, take a cue from nature. Allow yourself the grace to rest, to embrace the blahs as a necessary pause. And when those brief moments of sunshine peek through the clouds, let them fill your creative well.
At the end of that opening monologue by the “Man in Chair,” he says,
Anyway, whenever I’m feeling this way, blue, I like to listen to my music.
Same, man in chair, same.
We all handle moments of lackluster inspiration differently, so one size does not fit all, but here are a few ways I’ve found to stay motivated, even when inspiration seems elusive:
Seek Small Wins: Set tiny, achievable goals. Write a sentence, a paragraph, or even a single word. If you wrote one sentence a day, that’s 365 sentences in a year. A page? If you wrote a page a day, that’s 365 pages in a year. Or at least 30-60 pages while you’re waiting for the sun. Celebrate these victories, because they are what will lead to that completed story you want to tell.
Embrace the Pause: Allow yourself the space to rest without guilt. Use this time to refill your creative reservoir with books, movies, or nature walks. Or as my kids would say, go touch some grass. Warning: Avoid doom scrolling at all costs.
Find Your Sunlight: Identify what invigorates you. Is it music, a favorite book, or a conversation with a fellow writer? Lean into these sources of light.
Connect with other writers: Find time, make time, and make it a habit.
I build writerly connections into my calendar. Mondays with sprint group, Saturdays with one of my dearest writing friends, and days in between, I meet with people online. They keep me focused and accountable, and they understand the writing life in a way my nonwriterly friends cannot.
I plan to post more writing prompts in the coming weeks as we gain more sunlight, because I know what it’s like to wake up from the I’m-not-writing hibernation, and we all might need a little nudge.
If you haven’t seen The Drowsy Chaperone I highly recommend, and no, I won’t be shamed for liking live productions where the actors break out in song and dance for no apparent reason. That’s right. I’m a musical theatre geek and can still sing along to Cats, Sweeny Todd, and any number of Rodgers & Hammerstein plays. It’s how I’m making it through the long, cold winter.
[in the voice of the Capital One guy}: What’s in your recovery plan?
Your recovery playlist starts here:
Cindy Skaggs is a writer, book coach, public speaker, and military veteran who holds an MFA from Pacific Lutheran University and an MA in Creative Writing from Regis University. She is an advocate for military and veteran issues, mom to two humans, and an avid traveler. In 2022, she moved to Ireland to study Irish Literature. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
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Credits: The Drowsy Chaperone is a Canadian musical with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar.
I love when the Motivation Gnome comes for a visit (because why is it always a fairy that brings the good stuff?!? :)) She's NEVER on any kind of habitual schedule (because that would be too convenient), but when she does, I'm riding on that high for at least a day or two afterward.
There absolutely is a tendency to want to hibernate in the colder, darker months, and that's for good reason. I mean, we may wear shoes, drive cars, and carry computers in our pockets, but we're still animals. That's the natural cycle of things we ignore in the modern world. We sleep when it's dark, so naturally, we're sluggish and less energetic in the winter. I've often thought that I should build those rest months into my yearly writing/crafting plans so I can truly rest like my instincts are telling me to. No significant writing or deadlines, large and time-consuming crafts, no big projects, just books, friends, and food (and naps!).
This was a great post, Cindy! It got me thinking, and those are the best.