Sometimes you need to refill the well
Here are some ways to do it!
This week I was off field producing a shoot for Emma D. Miller’s doc Father Figures (you can follow the film on instagram) and so I am feeling quite tuckered out as I try to come up with something to say to you all that warrants 1000 words or more.
And I just don’t have it!
In an act of RADICAL SELF ACCEPTANCE, I’m going to say… that’s okay.
All it means is it’s time to “refill the well.”
“I had learned already never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.” - Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
I’m aware Hemingway is canceled and bad, but his writing about writing has always stuck with me, and I do particularly like the metaphor of “The Well” as a way to think about creative energies. If you don’t like Hemingway, Julia Cameron uses the same metaphor in The Artist’s Way. And it makes sense! Some things empty the well, and some things refill the well.
Of course, it’s simple in theory, but there can sometimes be unknown leaks in the well that accumulate over years and take a while to notice. For example, after a few years of living in LA, I realized I was feeling extremely burnt out all the time, and it dawned on me that I’d lost one of the key ways I used to refill the well as a writer, without even noticing. When I switched from theater writing to screenwriting, I quite suddenly stopped getting to rehearse with actors. What I’d taken for granted as simply a change in medium actually meant that I’d created an imbalance in the output/input equation. Yes I could still write (output), but I wasn’t getting to then workshop or create with other artists nearly as much (input) and over several years this had completely dried out the well.
This past spring I did a workshop of a play of mine and it was like… Oh! There’s the water! How did I forget about the water, and for so long?!
In the spirit of refilling the well, I’ve put a list together here of some of my favorite and most accessible ways. Maybe they’ll work for you. But if you have tips on what helps you refill the well, I’d love to hear them!
Things that refill the well (for me).
Great art that surprises you. I love to go see something totally unrelated to the art I make when I’m feeling uninspired. I’ve often found that an experimental theater piece, or a piece of modern art, or a remarkable poem can be extremely energizing, often in a way that a great film or TV simply can’t be. Seek out different stuff and see what works for you!
Revisit the classics. It’s nice to watch something like Singing in the Rain and realize “They really don’t make em like they used to.”
Nature. What better beauty than natural beauty to remind us of our tiny little place in this vast expanse of a world? Go find some trees and some peace and quiet and just breathe it all in.
Hit the road. There’s a magical feeling I get when I’m about to head off on a road trip that I find really inspiring. If you’re feeling stuck there’s nothing like seeing somewhere else!
Re-organize. Whether it’s my office or my bedroom or the files on my computer, there’s something about “getting things in order” that feels extremely satisfying to a cluttered tired mind and I highly recommend it! It doesn’t have to be your physical environment to feel like a nice little boost of productive possibility.
Do something else. When you feel like you’re banging your head against the wall… maybe… try something else? This could mean trying to write a totally different thing, or, it could mean trying something totally outside your comfort zone, like poetry. There is no rule that says you have to keep doing the same thing. Give yourself a new tool, even if it feels awkward.
Find someone to help. Honestly, when you’re tired, the last thing you want to do is solve someone else’s problems. I get it. But! There’s something magical that happens when you are doing something charitable that zaps your own problems of their power. For a long time I volunteered at 826NYC (an incredible org that is also in LA, consider volunteering or donating to them!) and helped kids in an after school program with their homework and there is something exhausting (but also extremely edifying) about just helping a bunch of kids with math problems and English essays. Want a great way to do that RIGHT NOW? Volunteer to phone bank for Kamala Harris. It’s only scary for the first 30 seconds as a volunteer, promise.
Play. Find a way to get out of your head. That could be tango, or it could be yoga, or it could be dungeons & dragons. But find a way to get into a flow state that has absolutely nothing to do with creating work, and everything to do with just having fun.
Get some rest. Sometimes when you’re feeling burnt out, it’s because you are burnt out. It really is that simple.
What else have you got, dear readers? I’d love to hear your methods for combating a lack of creative energy!