All artists, and by artists, I mean every one of us, can create in some way form or fashion. Our own creativity is as unique as our fingerprint. Creativeness isn't limited to words, drawings, or music; it includes necessity, ingenuity, and the ability to see past what already exists. Creativity is discovery in whatever form it takes.
 
Having said all this about being creative, what happens when we become stuck? When we lose our desire or misplace our will to create. Maybe it's because we've narrowed our vision, or fallen prey to outside influences. This triggers anxiety and our creativity withers, or we decide to push harder.
 
Let's take a look at the first option: The withering of creativity -Alexander Den Heijer stated: "When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower." For those who are not familiar with Den Heijer, he has written a very insightful book called Nothing You Don't Already Know. The point is that we need to take a look at what is stifling our creativity. What around us is taking over and wilting us? Has our environment changed, or does it no longer suit our needs? We are influenced by what we surround ourselves with. That statement leads a truth; we are in control of what and who we chose to have around us. We create our environment.
 
The second step is a bit harder. Why have we let the external affect the internal so drastically? Creativity comes from within. Our ability to create is personal. Whether it's writing an elegantly crafted sentence, stringing together just the right combination of musical notes to a song, or engineering the most ingenious mathematical equation, it's personal. It becomes necessary to look inward to see what may be blocking us. Emily Rose Barr in a blog for nosidebar.com depicts looking describes steps to take to look inward. She gives five easy steps on how to get back to who you are. These steps are an excellent place to start regaining your creative flow.
 
How about that second option: Let' push harder and push through it.  Wellness author Christine Arylo, in a blog at Huffpost.com writes:
 
The challenge is that most of us don't know we are pushing ourselves too hard until we have already gotten to the "bad place" -- the land of the crabby, the self-critical and the unhappy version of ourselves. The first step in transforming self-induced pressure to a more supportive, sustainable way of living is awareness, knowing the signs for when we are pushing ourselves too hard.
 
Arylo depicts there are five signs we are pushing too hard. I will not cover those five signs, but the link to the blog is live by clicking on Huffpost.com hyperlink.
 
If we are unable to craft with the mastery that we've become accustomed to and now we add the pressure of pushing harder, the only thing we have created is a downward spiral. Pushing ourselves harder; an old school thought is not the way. The flip side of that; letting ourselves "off the hook," some would call this a more modern approach, is also not the way. Both methods are ways of deterring us from looking at the root of the matter.
 
The Answer: Take a look at what has changed to cause the rift in our creative self. See why it has affected us so and find a creative way back. Yes, I said a creative way back. After all, that is our nature.
  
An important note- asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of authentic power. Not asking for help is a weakness. It causes us to stay hidden in the shadows, silently suffering.
 
Creativity is a gift we all possess and it manifests itself in hundreds of thousands of ways. If you get in a rut or forget your passion for being creative, use that which comes naturally to you to find a way back. Know that you have it within you to do so. Your creativity is your expression; share it with the world.

​     I usually stay away from political issues because they can be such a sticky topic, but I thought I couldn’t keep quiet anymore. As a nation, we have fought in many wars to defend those who could not protect themselves and we did this in the name of humanity. It doesn’t matter what your point of view is on the border, jobs, or your political position; the right to be treated with decency and as a fellow human is a must. We fought each other to free slaves, we fought others to free nations from injustices, and now we have become the monsters that we set out to destroy. Where has the line of humanity that we don’t cross gone? Is nothing out of bounds?

     No water, no showers, little food, separation of families. Does any of this sound familiar to you? I am ashamed not only as a nation but as an individual. As a nation, we talk and talk about these intolerable acts and we do nothing. As individuals, we talk and go to court to talk some more. It’s time to let them out of the cages. It’s as simple as that. Open the gates, reunite the families, and destroy the monster that we have become as a nation.
Today we are a nation that is pitted against itself and those less fortunate are paying the price. We are no longer the United States but have become the Divided States. Political jockeying and outdoing each other has become the norm. Is this the new American dream?

     We have prided ourselves as a nation of freedom for all. The last part has become a lie. How can we call ourselves the land of the free when we cage those who seek it? We have forgotten, or choose to ignore that none of us originated on this land. That we are the very proof that immigration to a new land can work. Generations ago our relatives endured the turmoil of coming to a new land and now we are so willing to pass that punishment onto those seeking the very same thing. Have we learned nothing?

     I would like to hear your thoughts, not your political views but your opinions on the loss of our humanity. They are human beings, mothers, fathers, and children. I ask one question. Where has the line gone?

​The writing of a good story, whether it is a novel, short story or essay, has a common link between the author and the reader. This commonality lies in the emotion that is bestowed by the author and to the reader.
The author is charged with creating a picture that is locked in place in the reader's mind. How is this done? The key is emotion. Anyone can explain events that may occur, but only when there becomes a connection to that story is the reader engaged and invested in that story.
    The reader longs to be tied to the story, unable to pull themselves away from it. As an author we must enlist emotions; joy, fear, anger, sadness, hatred, love, the list could be endless. Every reader and every author experiences emotions daily; put them into play in your writing. Use them to lock the reader into the story.
     The secret is to take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. Different character actions, different settings and different events within a story to guide the reader through various different emotions at any given moment. This keeps the reader glued to the story.
     A character’s reaction to an event, their body language, their speech, their emotions, all can be used to allow the reader to become invested in that character. If a character is feeling emotional pain, you want your reader to feel that emotional pain, therefore you, as the author, must feel it too.
     The description of a scene can play just as an important role in cementing a reader’s emotions into the story. The more vivid the wording of the scene the more the reader can visualize the scene and the more they become invested in the scene. Their emotions take over.
     Events in a story line can be used to trigger emotions in the reader. Readers associate with events in a story line because they may have had a similar event or know someone who has had a similar event. They are already emotionally tied to the event in their memory. Another way is to take away something from the reader that they may have already become invested in, such as a character or object within the story. Loss is a powerful emotion.
There are many ways to keep the reader emotionally tied to the story. It is the craft of the author to portray these emotions through the written word. As an author read what you write and decide if you're getting the emotional point across to the reader. If so, you’re creating a wondrous experience for the reader.

The writing of a good story, whether it is a novel, short story or essay, has a common link between the author and the reader. This commonality lies in the emotion that is bestowed by the author and to the reader.
The author is charged with creating a picture that is locked in place in the reader's mind. How is this done? The key is emotion. Anyone can explain events that may occur, but only when there becomes a connection to that story is the reader engaged and invested in that story.
    The reader longs to be tied to the story, unable to pull themselves away from it. As an author we must enlist emotions; joy, fear, anger, sadness, hatred, love, the list could be endless. Every reader and every author experiences emotions daily; put them into play in your writing. Use them to lock the reader into the story.
     The secret is to take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. Different character actions, different settings and different events within a story to guide the reader through various different emotions at any given moment. This keeps the reader glued to the story.
     A character’s reaction to an event, their body language, their speech, their emotions, all can be used to allow the reader to become invested in that character. If a character is feeling emotional pain, you want your reader to feel that emotional pain, therefore you, as the author, must feel it too.
     The description of a scene can play just as an important role in cementing a reader’s emotions into the story. The more vivid the wording of the scene the more the reader can visualize the scene and the more they become invested in the scene. Their emotions take over.
     Events in a story line can be used to trigger emotions in the reader. Readers associate with events in a story line because they may have had a similar event or know someone who has had a similar event. They are already emotionally tied to the event in their memory. Another way is to take away something from the reader that they may have already become invested in, such as a character or object within the story. Loss is a powerful emotion.
There are many ways to keep the reader emotionally tied to the story. It is the craft of the author to portray these emotions through the written word. As an author read what you write and decide if you're getting the emotional point across to the reader. If so, you’re creating a wondrous experience for the reader.

     Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, screenplay, or just about anything creative, the characters will portray some type or types of traits. These are called Archetypes. If you’re having trouble developing your characters, I suggest looking at the people you have engaged with during your life. The workplace is an excellent spot to start.
     To save time, I have come up with seven modern-day archetypes to help pinpoint people you might know. Most of my characters wear multiple archetypes that can change as the story goes on. This is important, as every character must show relatability and transition. Relatability is pretty straightforward; the character has to create a real bond with the reader. The transition can take a few directions. Most characters may go through a regressive transition and then move forward. Some characters begin severely flawed and transition back and forth a few times. Whatever approach you choose for your characters, the important thing to stay extremely aware of what you are doing. It has to make sense.
    The archetypes here are not presented in any specific order. See if you can connect each one to someone you know.

The Leader: Intuition guides this person to naturally take charge. They don’t sit around waiting for a solution, they create solutions with thought and care that benefit a situation or others.
The Hinderer: This individual questions others on just about everything. Rarely give useful information and is always looking for a way to make themselves look better.
The Pleaser: A person who signs up for everything. They are willing to help, no matter the personal cost. May have a tendency to over execute tasks.
The Follower: This is the good worker bee. Takes no risks, needs direction, and will not step up to lead even the simplest tasks.
The Sacrificer:  Boundaries don’t exist for this person. This one doesn’t care about rules or casualties. The result is the most important.
The Independent:  This is the loner who struggles to play with others. Good at making choices, but doesn’t necessarily see the consequences.
The Visionary: A person who sees the bigger dream, the long-range goal. This person may take longer to contemplate and action to see how it might affect the future.
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      Most characters share parts of any of these archetypes. I’m sure you could come up with a few more. I have found these seven archetypes are a good starting point.
     I hope this was helpful for you as you're developing your characters. Please let me know your thoughts and if you were able to match actual people to these archetypes. If you need help in developing depth for your characters, let me know. I would love to help.