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Rosalyn - This Is Me Writing's avatar

Loved the post and it really made me think about how I could plan my writing projects in a way that would be helpful.

I have a writing journal where I reflect which has been very useful but planning ahead could be a good use of it too so thanks for the inspiration.

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Lara Clements's avatar

I would be so interested in hearing more about your writing journal too! Thanks for sharing this Franky - it is so useful to understand how to best plan crafty projects...

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Franky Shanahan's avatar

I’m so glad it was helpful!

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Kristin Burns's avatar

I am trying to be more intentional about where I spend my time and what stories I want to tell, and this post really resonates with me. I feel scattered without a plan in general for most day-to-day stuff, but have never given much thought to planning for creative projects until @rukristin led a class in The Awesome Ladies Project last week on capturing our creative seeds.

On the surface having a plan somehow feels anti-creative, but I also know first-hand how a spark of inspiration or project idea gets lost immediately in my brain if I don't write the darn things down lol. I'm going to work on that! Thank you for all of the wonderful ideas.

I am reminded of Gretchen Rubin's saying "Something that can be done at any time often gets done at no time."

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Franky Shanahan's avatar

Gretchen is definitely on to something there! And I know what you mean about it feeling anti-creative somehow. Thankfully, I think there are ways to plan and be organised that still leave room for creative tangents and following your curiosity wherever it takes you.

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Louise's avatar

This was super satisfying to read, I love to hear about other people’s creative projects ongoing or completed.

It’s weird because before kids, when I was an EA for many years, I lived by the list - multiple lists! And I’m a Virgo sun, so by no means am I now disorganised, but when it comes to creativity, it is unplanned and a bit slap dash to be honest.

This has post has given me an a-ha moment, because throughout a week I do have pockets of child free time, but because I’m not planning/prioritising what I want to do creatively, aside from get 4 posts a month out on here and do *something* creative at least for half of the week, I’m just bubbling along. But then feeling super satisfied - as some weeks I’ll do a lot with my time/energy and other weeks I’ll do nothing! So then, by the time it hits Thursday evening, I’m restless because I know it won’t be until Monday that I have another pocket of time to myself again. Maybe by planning what things I want to work on, to learn, to practice, it might just happen! In the same way I have to turn up for my writing, the same is so true for all other creative projects.

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Franky Shanahan's avatar

I can totally relate. I think, whether we like it or not, once you have children/a job/a chronic health condition to manage, everything beyond life’s essentials requires a little planning! Good luck!

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