My Word of the Year for 2015

I never chose a word of the year for 2014. If I had to choose one retroactively, it would be “survive.” We survived downsizing from house to apartment. I survived over-committing myself and two separate job changes. It was a tough year, in which I constantly felt like I was making no progress, but in retrospect, I was. I made a lot of tough choices and set myself up for a better 2015. At least I hope so.

With that in mind, for 2015, I’m going back to the word I failed at in 2012: “Create.”

In 2012, I had just started my first full-time job after college. I was in the middle of serving on a pastoral search committee, a task that took a year and a half of meetings and a lot of emotions. I was in my third year of trying to sell a house that just wouldn’t sell. It was probably not the best time in my life to choose a word for the year so ambitious as “create.” But I did because what can I say: I was clueless. I really had no idea how much creating takes out of you.

The answer: a lot.

But this year, I think I’m ready for it.

Over the last four years, I have soaked up as much publishing advice as I can. I have read books on writing (and continue to do so). I have attended a conference, webinars, twitter chats. I have built a website and started blogging regularly. I have even met with and gotten advice from one of my favorite people on the internet, publishing consultant Jane Friedman (if you are a writer, go follow her blog and immediately get lost in the archives).

But I haven’t consistently sat down to write my book. It’s much easier to absorb than it is to create. 

So this year, I’m throwing research to the side and sitting down to create.

Why Not Just Choose “Write” as Your Word?

I chose “create” and not “write” intentionally. I want to allow myself a little freedom to take a day off now and then and pull out my camera. I need to be able to blog and participate in social media alongside writing a novel. I also want the freedom to create community as I write: responding to emails from other writers, reading other blogs and participating in the comments sections.

If I had chosen “write,” I would probably feel guilty whenever I spent time on any of those other activities. And I’m trying to be kinder to myself, so not creating guilt is a good thing.

And let’s face it: there are going to be evenings when I come home from work and need to curl up on the couch with a book. Or a half-dozen episodes of 30 Rock. And some chocolate.

I really believe that all of these are important to cultivating creativity, so long as you create as much as you consume. That is the tough part: finding the balance between the two.

So if I spend the morning writing a blog and scheduling out social media, I’m letting myself off the hook if I need to come home and just go “bleh” on the couch at the end of a long day.

I’m going to try to keep most of my Saturday mornings free for longer creating sessions. Large chunks of time are going to be important as I sort out plot points and learn the rhythm of my novel.

And if things get out of balance, I am going to hit the restart button and try again.

So I’m going to go create. There’s only 345 days left in the year.

GO CREATE.

What’s your word of the year for 2015?