Two weeks ago I attended a watercolor workshop taught by nationally known Susan Blackwood. I was astounded by how much the content related perfectly to writing (I wrote another post on it, here). By the end of the four days, my poor Evernote app barely functioned–I wore the sucker out. (Don’t worry, it’s happy again.)
I found myself ruminating over something she said:
And guess what I thought. Surprise: this is so my writing life.
I spent this weekend hunched over watercolor paper, surrounded by fellow artists and mounds of paint. I participated in a four-day Susan Blackwood workshop, where the theme of the weekend was Finding Your Voice through practical painting concepts.
As I jotted down notes, I was startled by how similar the concepts were to writing.
Take this mini painting. Yes, that’s a cow butt 🙂 (I focused more on nailing the concept than getting it perfect, so no judgments.)
Athletes train by spending grueling hours preparing for their sports. One way they do this is by cross-training.
We can do the same with writing.
Despite hours languishing in front of the keyboard, intense word sprints, or writing exercises, another way to exercise the writing muscles is to participate in another form of creative activity.
I find painting indispensable for my writing. And writing valuable for painting. They fuel each other.
But how can creative cross-training be helpful?
By training your brain to function in ways also applicable to writing: