i recently read (listened to) Shonda Rhimes’ “Year of Yes.” It’s a great listen for any of you that are looking for something helpful and entertaining. It was filled with some great anecdotes and was pretty inspirational if you’re okay with being inspired by someone that is most likely wired very differently than you are.
There was a passage in one one of the later chapters that talked about her writing process and the time it takes for her to get in her zone, if you will. This was one of the more helpful concepts for me. She talks about the “5 miles” that she has to “run” every time she sits down to be creative. Metaphorically, of course, her creative zone is behind a door that is 5 miles away and she needs to run those 5 miles every time she wants to walk through the door. She explains that, at first, the 5 mile journey is long and almost undoable but as she did it more often and her fitness increased it became a quicker and easier trip.
She goes on to talk about how distractions and interruptions while running the 5 miles means she has to start it over again. While this is a TERRIFYING thought for a mother of a 2-year old, the idea as a whole gives me hope. I’ve always been a creative person, not Shonda Rhimes creative, but more creative than most. That said, I’m extremely out of shape, if you get my drift. I want the juices to flow and ideas to pour as soon as I squeeze 10 minutes of free time out of the crazy busy day or the hour or two I have to be an adult after my son goes to sleep. It’s clear I have the time, but the energy and will power is a different story. But Shonda’s process gives me inspiration. If I can commit to “running” a bit everyday, eventually I’ll get to the door. And if I can get to the door often enough, I’m sure I can come up with something to be proud of.