I’ve been writing a lot lately, which is a good thing, but it means less blogging, unfortunately. There are only so many hours in my day allotted to writing, and I use them all for writing books. 🙂
Blogging usually has to come from life time. (I have two lives, writing life and life life.) But life life is filled with kids and house and friends and laundry. Although that’s probably the wrong order. Laundry always seems to take up so much more time that it should.

But I’ve been thinking about blogging a lot lately, about what this blog should be and this post is an attempt to regain focus. The purple desk was always supposed to be a place full of thoughts on creativity. (Different, I suppose, from creative thoughts.) So, I wanted to tell you about this great new book I’m reading perfect for all creative types. The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp. Maybe you’ve already read it. But if no, I highly recommend. I’m not even all the way finished with it yet, but it’s made such a change in my writing life. (See? It’s real.)

She talks a lot about the importance of routine and ritual in making your creativity habitual and not simply something you do once every second Tuesday when you feel the impulse and your toenails are already polished. And it works! I’ve signigicantly decreased the amount of puttering and procrastination that happens in writing life and have written so much above my typical output this week. Yay!

My ritual is this:
1. Make cup of tea.
2. Set Zen Timer.
3. Open Document.
4. Start timer.
5. Write.

Often times I don’t even drink the tea, but it gets me started so it’s worth the sacrifice of all those little tea bag lives. 🙂

A big huge thank you to the fantastic Barbara O’Connor because her blog introduced me to The Creative Habit.