Lately I’ve been reflecting about the journey of publishing my poetry book, and the risk and beauty this process has offered.
Awhile ago on Instagram, a few folks were asking me for tips and advice on compiling and self-publishing a book and it got me thinking a lot about the creative process in general and some gems that I would love to share with you today.
Here are some things to consider if you’re wanting to birth a creative project into the world (or even just have some tangible steps to get more in touch with your creativity, and follow through with it)
Tip number one: Embrace the mess
The single most important thing that enabled me to actually put a tangible creative thing out into the world was to be able to do it imperfectly.
A big reason why it was hard for me to finish creative projects previously was because I was holding myself to high standards that I could never meet, and when that mixed with the uncertainty and fear of being seen in my possibly imperfect offering, I would freeze up.
What helped tremendously was to slowly, over time, learn how to do things more messily. I had to build up my tolerance for mess and imperfection so that my old coping strategies wouldn’t come in and shut everything down (and they did sometimes, but I have been learning new routes of softness.)
On that note….
Tip number 2. Throw out the rules + follow what feels good/accessible
When I started this process I realized I had a lot of internalized “shoulds” about how I should go about making a poetry book - how I should format the book, the placing and frequency of the art, the right way to “launch” the book and share it with my audience, etc.
I felt a lot of freedom when I realized that just like there is no right way to write a poem, there is also no right way to publish a book, or undertake a creative project.
It is YOUR project and it gets to be unique to the essence of YOU. and that gets to be weirdly, wonderfully different from the norm if you want it to be.
Example: none of my poems have titles. Some have punctuation, others have no punctuation, based on what I felt was right. :)
Tip number three : Remember why you care
Another really key aspect of what got me through the birth canal of this project is devotion.
Is putting something creative and personal out into the world terrifying? Yes. Is it also one of the most beautiful and soul satisfying endeavors I’ve undertaken?
HELL YES.
The process of writing poetry is for me, a devotional one.
Devotion is an energy that is strong enough to carry us past the fear of what others will think.
When I harness myself to devotion and separate my worth from others perspectives I become more free to serve what it is that I love.
Tip number four: Get support. You don’t have to do it alone.
I’m really grateful for some of my mentors, Luna Dietrich, as well as Madison Abdallah of radiant somatics for helping me to build my tolerance for mess and understand the somatic & nervous system connections.
I also hired someone to help me with the final editing and formatting, because I knew that aspect would be potentially incredibly tedious and frustrating for me!
So yes, I really suggest getting support - whether that is with technical details or areas that are not so much your strong suit, or just surrounded yourself with people who will encourage and cheer you on, and embrace and cherish you in your imperfection!
If this resonated and you want to dive deeper and experience the power of exploring your creativity with community, doors are open for muse creativity coven, a group offering exploring creativity through the lens of sensuality and the nervous system.