fantasy fuel and creative flow
I’ve added a new feature to the site that I’m so excited about:
music + pomodoros for creative minds
I wrote in the page description that ‘sometimes you need to feel like you’re in another world just so you can start dreaming about your own.’ That’s really been so big for me, as most nights I don’t really get back to world-building until my family is fast asleep, and that could be as late as 9/10pm. After a long day the last thing I feel like doing is hours and hours of writing, sketching (or thinking, lol), but music can really help reset my mood.
Finding Pomodoro videos on YouTube has also been extremely helpful for me. Even ‘lone wolf’ creators can find motivation by having other lone wolves grinding their work out at the same time - almost like a mini-study group (that you can pause). Letting Pomodoro videos run in the background has helped me get more consistent work done than anything else I’ve ever tried. Just starting a video motivates me to forget about end-goals or deadlines, and focus on just creating for a short stretch of time. This often results in a mental work state that every creator (regardless of profession, or passion) constantly yearns for… creative flow. I can’t recommend using Pomodoros highly enough.
My journey to learning about and appreciating some good fantasy fuel and Pomodoros was a long one. I have some very specific people I want to thank (though they may never see this post):
arya stark
game of thrones might have ended already (tv show wise, anyway) but our girl Arya has been extremely busy being a hero on her best mission yet - the DAISIE app
created by GOT actor Maisie Williams, this app is a really cool new space that allows creative minds to meet virtually and discuss (or learn) tips and other great ideas - knowledge bombs that can really help you stay motivated when your creative juices are running low
thanks Maisie/Arya Stark for being passionate about creation, and giving dreamers a positive space to help each other stay motivated
fernando & bojidar
i connected with a couple of creative souls via the DAISIE app and had a series of incredible conversations i’m still benefiting from today (I’ll limit the thank yous to first names only to minimize embarrassment, lol) -
Fernando, my writing buddy who pointed me to YouTube for some free and truly great fantasy music, and organized some phenomenal writing sprints on multiple nights - all conveniently after 11:30pm (aka late enough for me to put the kids to bed and get some chores done, LOL)
Bojidar, for hosting some highly transparent and extremely motivational sessions on DAISIE that encouraged me to just keep writing and learn to embrace flaws as I wrote (an epiphany that actually led me to the creation of this blog)!
mdprospect
this guy has been using Pomodoro to study on YouTube for years and he really took his videos to the next level during the pandemic. he’s now officially a doctor (no longer a prospect - CONGRATS!!!), but his videos are still as effective as ever.
at first it looks like all he does is study, but with his desk setup, relaxing background ambience, and gorgeous view of Canada, he really does so much more with every new video. just a great resource for creators all around!
Sometimes it’s not enough to simply have a desire to create. Depending on what life throws at me, I often not in the right frame of mind to create. Other times I’m honestly afraid - too afraid - of failure. These creators have taught me that it is okay to feel this way sometimes (or most of the time), and thanks to their tips and ideas, I feel set up for… well, it’s so much more than creative success. It’s more like creative happiness.
