7 Unconventional Ways to Make Time for Your Book Project

7 Unconventional Ways to Make Time for Your Book Project...SQUIRREL!

 So much to do, so little time! Our lives are filled with so many things for us to do.

Think about your busy life. Now think about the distractions that have played a role in how you spend your time.  Where is your book project in this list?

I get it. Your book idea is important and difficult and all consuming. It’s scary as hell to spill out your heart and soul onto a blank piece of paper. It is no wonder that distractions pop up to save us.

Your Saboteurs enjoy:

1. Doing busywork, instead of work that is moving you forward.
2. Allowing distractions instead of doing a task that is difficult to get through.
3. Seeing the super-big picture instead of what is right in front of you to the point of Overwhelm.

Don’t get me wrong. I get distracted, too. I deal with Saboteurs on a daily basis. I put unimportant tasks (checking email) or distractions (like social media) ahead of getting the important things done first. I feel ya!

But what if you could dive head first into your book project with excitement. Visualize this…

1. You clear your creating space.
2. You turn off all distractions (internet, cell phone, TV…anything you use as a distraction)
3. You sit down and are ready to write or illustrate.

How do you feel as you visualized that? Are you having a panic attack? Is Fear coming for a visit? Is your mind looking for a distraction? Do you feel like you want to run away? Great! Distraction provided ahead…

20 Awesome Ways to Stay in the Creative Flow

20 Awesome Ways to Stay in the Creative Flow. © Heather Dakota, LLC.

Recently, I was asked how I get so much done. Let's look at what it means to be in the creative flow, because that's how you get things done.

Creative flow is a moment in time when you’re both challenged by what you’re doing and have complete freedom in how you complete the creation. You engage when you are completely in the present moment. If you’re not flowing, you aren’t allowing yourself to be challenged, you’re completely overwhelmed with too much to do or too little time, or someone else is holding you back. Be really careful with that last one that you aren't projecting some of your fears onto someone else.


There isn't a secret to staying in the creative flow, but here are my go-to practices:

1. Make time for yourself. Creatives are notorious for doing so much that we forget to take time for ourselves, for our dreaming, and for our creating. Get yourself some alone time to be with your thoughts and creations.

2. Spend time with supportive family and friends. There is nothing that will kill your creative flow than surrounding yourself with people who poo-poo what you're trying to accomplish. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Think about that!

3. Practice exquisite self care. This includes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self care. Ask yourself what you need. Then know what you need and ask for what you want.

4. Spend time outside in nature. The fresh air will revitalize your cells and open up your brain and get the creative juices flowing again.

5. Go on actual adventures. Adventures are a fabulous way to kickstart the creative flow, especially if you're in a rut or are experiencing a bit of stagnation. If you find your creative juices are sputtering, it might be time for an adventure.

6. Turn off all distractions. This includes the TV, cell phones, computer, ask for support and uninterrupted time from your loved ones. Even little ones understand if you set a timer for them.

7. Do something you've never done before. I call these "Firsts." This can be something you've never eaten to trying a different medium. It doesn't have to be a big deal. You don't have to go skydiving. Sometimes these happen spontaneously, too. Just recognize and acknowledge that it is a "First!"

8. Talk to strangers. Alright. I can't say this is a strong suit of mine. But when I have talked to strangers, the conversations have been enlightening or inspirational in some way. Give it a try...it could be a First, too!

9. Play like a child. Break out the crayons, hoola-hoop, or jacks. A childlike curiosity of the world will help you stay in the creative flow. Children are naturally there all the time!

10. Heartstorm. I would say "brainstorm" here, but often times we are too much in our heads. Drop down into your heart center and open up to feelings. Write down ideas from this open, vulnerable, loving, and sacred space.

11. Ask "What if..." Take an idea to the extreme. What would happen if __________________? (Fill in the blank). You can apply this technique to anything from medium of choice to character development.

12. Create a routine. Be careful here. If your creative flow is stagnating, DO NOT create more routines. If you are feeling overwhelmed or procrastinating, a routine can help lead you back into the creative flow.

13. Dream before you do. Many times we are so busy doing that we forget to dream. Personally, I take at least one day a month to just dream. Many times I combine my dreaming time with self care, adventures, and nature. A single "Dream" journal is a handy thing to have along to capture your dreams in one place, instead of a million post-it notes all over the place.

14. Let go of outcomes. Oh this is a biggie! We're human and have expectations. However the more  you can let go of how it will happen, the more you'll be able to stay in the creative flow. This also leaves room for synchronicity to happen and challenges you to let go of the control of everything.

15. Don't suck the joy out of it. This is a note that my friend and a top children's book illustrator and designer, Nancy Panaccione has taped to her computer. Sometimes we get so caught up in perfectionism and expectations that we suck the joy right out of the creative flow.

16. Give yourself a time limit. If there is some fear around your task, make it a small amount of time, like 5 minutes. Work your way up to 30 minutes to 1 hour as you gain confidence. If you're in the flow, you'll forget about time!

17. Keep going. You know the old joke, "How do you eat an elephant?"...that's right, one bite at a time. The same goes for that creative project, goal, or task that you want to flow.

18. Take a break. This is an exercise in exquisite self care. I get up and stretch every hour, sometimes I even go for a little walk or sit in the sun for 5 minutes. Sometimes all I can manage is a 2-minute deep breathing meditation. Whatever works for you is fine, just take a break.

19. Embrace your Saboteurs. Your Saboteurs are Procrastination, Perfectionism, Overwhelm, Judgment, Rebellion, Fear, and Clutter. Sit them down for a chat and find out why they are showing up. Look for more information to come on how to embrace your Saboteurs.

20. Practice. You can't master flow if you aren't showing up and giving it a try.

So tell me in the comments below. How do you stay in the creative flow? Did you try any of thesse tips? Did they work? Curious minds want to know.

3 Ways to Discover Your Writer's Voice

3 Ways to Discover Your Writer's Voice

One question I get over and over is "How do I create my writer's voice?" The obvious answer is "write." But that's not very helpful if you're really struggling with this, so...

What is a writer's voice?  A writer's voice is your individual writing style. It is the way in which you put the words together, use punctuation, develop your characters, create dialogue, and more.

Why do you need a writing voice? As a children's book writer, you need a voice whether you're writing fiction or creative non-fiction. The reason? There are so many good children's books out in the marketplace, you don't want your writing to feel similar to other works. It's important to be your authentic self, not a blend of the books you've read and TV shows you've seen. Actually, it’s a big deal for children's book writers to find their voice.

Here are 3 Ways to Discover Your Writer's Voice:

1. Practice, practice, practice. I know it's cliche, but you need to practice writing. You won't get any better or discover your writing voice if you don't write. You can read a million books or articles on the subject, but unless you are adding the experience of actually putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), you won't find your writer's voice. In the book Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell says it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in any field. So start practicing if you want to find your writer's voice!

2. Copy. I'm a little hesitant to put this here, because when I say copy, I don't literally mean copy someone else's work word-for-word. That is copyright infringement and a HUGE no-no. The idea is to read other peoples' work that you admire and really examine it. What do you like about it? How are the styles alike or different? What about the writing creates emotions in you? Often times, what we admire is what we aspire to. If you are comparing yourself to someone else's writing success, you're being pointed in that direction for a reason. Learn from it. Also, I strongly suggest that as you are exploring this avenue, do not use any of your writings for publication. Your "new" voice will be too close to the work that you admire.

3.Write how you speak. You're gonna laugh. When I write, fiction especially, I grab my phone and talk it through on a recording app. Yep, there's an app for that! Sometimes I even act out a scene with the different character's voices. It's pretty funny, but it helps me get into what the character is feeling and sensing when I do this. It also helps me write in my voice. If you write how you speak, it will be much easier to maintain throughout a story and easier to find your writer's voice. Try it! Use a recording app on your phone or computer instead of writing it out.

Have you found your writer's voice? Tell me how you did it in the comments below.

5 Positive Things to Know About Rejection Letters

5 Ways to Think Positively About Rejection Letters

You put yourself out there and got a rejection letter (or several) for your troubles. Ugh! I feel ya! You might be feeling low and blue. There might be a lot of self-doubt running through your head about your ability to write or illustrate. But take heart!

Here are 5 positive things to know about those rejection letters: