Creativity Carnival for Writers

[Issue 41 was guest edited by Annette Fix]

I have a confession to make. I love playing carnival games. The intoxicating atmosphere of blinking lights, joyful music and laughter, game barkers and overstuffed prizes, and the sweet, lingering smell of cotton candy draws me in every time. When I put together this month’s Creativity issue, the articles and interviews reminded me of those tempting carnival booths, calling out and inviting me to test my skills, and most of all—to play!

When it comes to creativity, it’s a carnival of possibilities for writers. There are so many different ways we can express ourselves and tap into the core of our creativity. Even the process of creating a new piece of work can be a wild ride. 

Turn your muse loose on this issue and she’ll be just as excited as a child at her first carnival. We have great interviews with the top creativity experts in the field and articles that take every colorful turn in the creativity kaleidoscope including brainstorming techniques, creating a vision board, sources for prompts and exercises, tips to break through writer’s block, ideas on how to take your creativity on a much-needed retreat, and even ways you can give your home-office space a creative boost using feng shui!

Grab your WOW! tickets, let your muse out to play, and enjoy the creativity carnival!

A big, warm thank you goes out to our freelancers and staff members:

We welcome back freelancer Sara Hodon and thank her for her wonderful interview with The Succulent, Bodacious, and Fabulous SARK. SARK (Susan Kennedy) artist and bestselling author of Succulent Wild Women, and creator of Planet SARK: a colorful empire of creativity books, ePrograms, and products designed to inspire your muse. In her interview, SARK shares her philosophy about how you can channel your creativity, avoid creative dry spells, and make your creative dreams real.

Creativity, an integral part of writing, is often elusive. What can a writer do to try to recapture or increase creativity and allow it to flow onto the page? There are a variety of exercises and tools to help a writer tap into her creativity, including brainstorming. We welcome back freelancer and WOW blogger Elizabeth King Humphrey and thank her for article Creative Brainstorming for Writers where Elizabeth shares a collection of insights, ideas, and inspirations from Jill Bodonsky, Whitney Ferré, and her own techniques for exercising your creative muscles.

For writers, stress from juggling too many distractions manifests as difficulty in writing, plotting, and brainstorming, and can contribute to writer’s block. We welcome back freelancer Bridgid Gallagher and thank her for her refreshing article, Take a Break for Creativity. As creative people, isolation can help us calm our minds and break through blocks. Bridgid shows us how taking a distraction-free break, whether it’s an hour at a coffee shop or a weekend writer’s retreat, can give you the solitude you need to center yourself and get back to writing.

For this issue, I was excited to have the opportunity to interview creativity guru Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, about her creative life, the collaboration on her most recent project, and her secret for such a prolific and successful writing career as a poet, playwright, screenwriter, and author. I caught up with Julia just in time for her September launch of her latest book, The Creative Life: True Tales of Inspiration, so check out her interview and prepare to be inspired!

If you’re short on inspiration, then it may be time to give your office a much-needed creativity makeover. WOW welcomes back freelancer Kerrie Flanagan and thanks her for her How2 article Feng Shui for Writers. As writers, it is important to have a space that allows the creativity to flow and Feng Shui can help accomplish that. The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a lot and can be done with items you already have in your home. Kerrie’s article shares simple ways you can implement Feng Shui into your writing space, making it a place that encourages creativity, inspiration, and success.

Do prompts and exercises get your writing juices flowing? If so, you’ll definitely want to check out these resources. We welcome freelancer Erika Dreifus to the WOW! family and thank her for her comprehensive review article, Finding Creative Inspiration Through Prompts and Exercises. In her article, Erika provides a guide to books, email newsletters, blogs, and other online sources for prompts and exercises that are sure to inspire creativity and get your muse running to the page.

If you’re looking for another way to be creative and give your muse the opportunity to play, you can assemble a vision board to help you “see” your success and inspire it to happen. We welcome freelancer Patricia Anne McGoldrick to the WOW! family and thank her for her 20 Questions interview with creativity expert, Christine Kane, author of The Complete Guide to Vision Boards. In her interview, Christine talks about how to keep perfectionism and negative self-talk from crippling your creativity, how creating your own success principles can bring you prosperity, and how to live your life as a Conscious Creative.

We welcome back freelancer Beth Daniels and thank her for her Freelancer’s Corner article, Creative Ideas to Get Pantsers Over a Writer's Block Wall. From storyboards to timelines, a wall of notes, and everything in between, Beth shows Pantsers a baker’s dozen of creative ways to break through writer’s block and stay true to their non-plotting passion.

And a big thank you to Angela Mackintosh, a creative genius and WOW!’s publisher extraordinaire, who works tirelessly to provide a voice and a resource for women writers across cyberspace. Angela’s creative dream has seen four years and 41 issues—and THAT is inspiring.

On to the issue… Enjoy the ride!