When the Creative Well Runs Dry
If you are a writer, you probably know what it feels like to lose your inspiration. The creative juices dry up. The heart may want what the heart wants, but even your heart is not sharing that info with you. Here’s how I back-door my creativity and get it flowing freely again.
Singing
I occasionally sing on the worship team at my church. It’s a wonderful expression of my personal worship. It is also a fun collaborative creative experience. I receive the song list and audio files so I can listen and practice at home. Then we gather for a vocal rehearsal. I have a special love for rich harmonies — I mean, come on, who doesn’t?
I grew up in a large musical family, the youngest of nine. I am pretty sure I remember hearing harmonies while my siblings rehearsed their “special numbers” for church while I was in utero. I once personally train-wrecked my elementary music class in grade 4 because I was bored with everyone singing the same thing, so I started singing harmony. It sounded so much better! My classmates pitch was easily led astray, however, so that did not end well. But I did start getting solos in the school concerts, so there’s that.
After a weekend of singing for church services, my creative juices are usually primed and flowing again.
Knitting
Maybe it sounds old- fashioned and kinda fusty, but I will have you know that there are several A-list celebrities that have made knitting trendy again. Do a quick google search on celebrities who knit. You will find names like Demi Lovato, Ryan Gosling (for real!), Krysten Ritter, Julia Roberts, and Dakota Fanning, to name a few.
There is something calming and centering about the way the yarn feels running between my fingers. The repetitive motions soothe a troubled spirit. And don’t forget the satisfying feeling of accomplishment when the project is finished. Here’s what’s in my knitting bag right now:
Cooking
I like to challenge myself to create a recipe using only what I have on hand. No shopping allowed. It’s fun, and it usually turns out ok. And if it doesn’t, it’s not like I made a special trip to the store for specific ingredients.
One day I challenged myself to create a new recipe. Here’s what I had on hand — pork chops, apples, ginger, garlic, and rosemary. I already knew apples and pork chops were a winning combo, but I wanted to put my own spin on it. Here’s what I ended up with, and it remains a family favorite.
Ginger Apple Pork Chops
Here’s what you need:
Pork Chops (I prefer a loin cut for this recipe)
Fresh ginger
Fresh garlic
Rosemary (I prefer fresh, but dried works too. My trick for dry herbs is to put them in the palm of my hand and briskly rub my hands together. This ‘wakes up’ the dried herbs, and helps the release the aromas and flavors. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll add a tiny drizzle of oil and crush them using my mortar & pestle.)
A few apples (any type will do, but I prefer blending a tart apple with a sweet apple, like a granny smith and a honey crisp)
Sesame Oil (the dark one)
Here’s what you do:
Peel and chop the apples
Mince the garlic and ginger. (I like to use a micro-blade grater. Also, keep your ginger in the freezer. You won’t get all the stringy bits when you grate it.)
Preheat oven to 375
Preheat a frying pan. Add a generous pour of sesame oil. Brown both sides of the pork chops, with the sprigs of rosemary, onion, garlic, and ginger. Set them aside in a baking dish.
Using the same pan, sauté the apples.
(I know I didn’t mention how much ginger or garlic. Use what you like, until the smell wafting from the pan makes you happy. I like lots of both, especially during cold & flu season. Or if I’m in a mood. The extra garlic consumed by my family helps me keep my distance, thereby reducing the chance of an unsavory encounter.)
Sauté, only for a minute or so. You don’t want to overcook it at this stage — just enough to deglaze the pan. Adding a splash of water or white wine helps with the deglazing.
Spoon the apple mixture over the pork chops, bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops.
I like to serve this with rice, because the saucy apple mixture tops it beautifully. Add a nice green salad and you have a delicious dinner. You also, hopefully, have a renewed feeling of creativity.
What gets your creativity going again? Share in the comments. I hope it’s a recipe.
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