Whatcha Gonna Do When the Well Runs Dry, Honey?
By Yolanda
Smith
Whatcha Gonna Do when the Well Runs Dry, Honey?
I’ll admit it—this blog
post was due, and I had nuthin’. Sometimes my well of ideas runs dry. My lack
of material is not due to stupidity. At least, I hope that’s not the case. This
problem usually manifests when I’m full of conflicting and competing
responsibilities (back-to-school, anyone?), and they take over my brain, siphoning
the creativity faster than a gas thief. What’s a writer to do?
Sit on the
Bank and Cry, Cry, Cry
Tears are my default when
things aren’t going write right. I used to be ashamed of my tears, doing
everything within my power to stop the flow. That’s never worked well for me,
so my second option was to hide the blubbering as best I could. That remained
true for many years, until I realized God gave me tears as a gift, and I
stopped holding back. These days a hearty sob is no crying shame. When I’m
feeling overwhelmed, tired, or out of sorts, a good bawl cleanses my soul and
is the closest thing I have to a reset button.
Yonder
Comes a Man with a Sack on His Back
We know the source of
all creativity, right? He’s in sight, and He’s headed our way. He’s the living
water, ready to slake our thirst if we’re willing to sit at His feet and drink
deeply of all He offers. He can fill our wagon, our well, and our water bottles
with whatever we need most. Often, we don’t even know what to ask for, but He
knows what we need, and He’s got a sack full of supplies. But it’s our job to
pay attention—and notice His presence.
Got More
Crawdads than He Can Pack
God has a bottomless reservoir
of creativity available. There’s no promise as to the measure He will share with
us, but we won’t be worse for the asking. He invites us to remember every good
and perfect gift comes from Him.
You Get a
Line, I’ll Get a Pole, Honey
Wouldn’t it be odd if,
while pulling out a good folk song or ballad and whistling a jaunty tune, we
actually get a line? And one line leads to another line, and a nibble turns to
a catch. Soon, we’re fishing in the deep waters of creativity once again. Or
writing a full blog post. Wow!
We’ll Go
Down to the Crawdad Hole
Make sure to invite
others along the journey with you. Sometimes when the well is dry the best way
to prime the pump is share what you already know with someone who is a little
behind you on the road. Everything feels ho-hum until we begin recounting what we’ve
learned along the way, and it refuels our passion to keep learning and trying.
Honey,
Baby, Mine
At the center of why we
write is the gift of words, and the gift of an audience. We are called to serve
people with and through the words we share, giving away our ideas and
experiences as a way to love our audience well.
What do you do when you
run out of ideas? Where do you turn for inspiration? We’d love for you to share
your best ideas with us in the comments.
(Photos courtesy of
FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Sira Anamwong, and Aleks Melnik.)
http://www.songlyrics.com/
TWEETABLE
Writer, when the inspiration and ideas run dry, turn to the Source of all creativity. God’s reservoir is bottomless and never runs dry. via @canitbeyolanda (Click to tweet.)
Yolanda Smith enjoys life in the foothills of North
Carolina. In a “Yours, Mine & Ours” spin, she and her husband are parents
to a combined total of twelve children and grandparents to a growing number of
littles. Yolanda serves on her church’s worship team, works as a
freelance editor, is a guest speaker at various churches, and writes in the
cracks of life. She is currently working on her first novel featuring
historical Appalachian fiction. A former member of a legalistic, cultish
church, Yolanda is passionate about helping people find freedom in Christ. She
is also enthusiastic about reading good books and correcting bad grammar.
Yolanda Smith enjoys life in the foothills of North
Carolina. In a “Yours, Mine & Ours” spin, she and her husband are parents
to a combined total of twelve children and grandparents to a growing number of
littles. Yolanda serves on her church’s worship team, works as a
freelance editor, is a guest speaker at various churches, and writes in the
cracks of life. She is currently working on her first novel featuring
historical Appalachian fiction. A former member of a legalistic, cultish
church, Yolanda is passionate about helping people find freedom in Christ. She
is also enthusiastic about reading good books and correcting bad grammar.
You can find Yolanda on the Internet at:
Yes, yes! When you feel like the well is dry, go to Him. Even if the well is full, go to Him. :-)
ReplyDeleteWise words, Melissa. Go to Him. Period. Thanks for sharing. :)
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