Stepping away to lean in

What if the secret to productivity is rest?

If you read this little newsletter regularly, you know I give plenty of advice on things you must do, strategies for everything from self-editing to marketing.

But writers don’t just do. They must replenish. They must be.

What if I told you that the secret to productivity is taking time to step away from the relentless effort and hustle? Take time to rest and replenish, and you’ll boost your writing and creativity.

I am writing this from the guest room at a retreat center in Indiana, about hour and half hours’ drive from my home. It is run by a couple that I did ministry with years ago, now in their 80s and still going strong. We’ve kept in touch and I’ve been meaning to get down here for about a decade, which makes me feel old.

The grounds of the retreat center are lovely, and the perfect place to get away. I’ll walk the lovely trails, spending time in solitude, but also write. I’ll spend some time working on what I will teach less than two weeks form now at the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. I’ll read.

As both faculty and board member for the conference, I know I’m going to be leaning in during it. I’m going to be giving to others, offering advice, teaching, support. Which is why I’m refueling now. Filling my tank.

Writers sometimes forget about the power of time away. Of nurturing their writer soul.  As I drove through cornfields fringed with trees turned orange and amber, something of the tension and stress I’ve been carrying lately unclenched in me.

If you’re feeling stuck in your writing, consider a one-day (or more) retreat. Get out of your normal space. What does one do on retreat, and how does it help your writing?

Retreat is more about not doing than doing. But here are some suggestions:

• read something beautiful—poetry or a children’s book—out loud. I recommend All The Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan 

• walk through woods, fields or beautiful spaces. Do a little research to find a place to visit.

• journal. Let yourself just write, longhand. Use this prompt: what brings me joy? What is one step I could take to move closer to my true self?

• meditate. Take some time to sit still, to breathe. The world may feel lately as if it’s gone mad, but God is still here, as close as the air you breathe. Give your attention to God’s love for just a few minutes.

• engage in another type of creative endeavor, such as drawing. Let go of needing to be good at it or productive. Scribble, doodle. Draw with your non-dominant hand.

How does retreat help?

Do you ever feel like your creative energy is on low? Getting out of your routine, and out of your normal physical space, can kickstart your creativity. Taking time to get away will help you to be more productive in the future.

You might be a little stressed these days. The news is relentless, your workload is heavy. Even if you are able to sleep, you might not feel rested. Stepping away from your normal context provides a reset, Getting into a new environment can help you rest even if you are awake.

If we never take a break, we fall into a mindless routine. Upsetting that routine, in a good way, can help us be more mindful: to notice and name beauty, to see things from a different vantage point. To ease the panic that you might be feeling. That , in part, is what writing offers both us and our readers: a change in perspective, a fresh look at the ordinary that unearths its hidden beauty.

I can’t afford it…

Maybe the little voice of scarcity in your head is saying—I don’t have the time or money to do this. For years I told myself I could not afford to get away. It was too expensive, or I didn’t have the time. This scarcity mindset hindered my writing. When I began to make a practice of retreat, I was amazed at how my productivity soared.

You are a writer, a creative. You can get creative about this. Use the internet to search out retreat centers or Airbnb’s where you could take yourself on a writing retreat. If you have a friend who would let you hang out in their guestroom to write, do it.

The woman I’m visiting used to always tell me, “You have all the time you need to do the things that God has called you to do.” The problem is, of course, that we try to do too many things, many of which God has not called us to do.

A retreat offers the chance to get clarity on what God has called you to, and the opportunity to invest some time fanning that calling into flame. If you are called to write, you can’t afford not to.