Saying that 2020 has been a difficult year is like saying the ocean is wet. A tornado, social and political unrest, a global pandemic, the loss of my canine companion of the last 18 years, and…well, you get the idea. I’ve been working from home since March and here we are in November. This month has always been exciting for me. It’s the time for celebration and thanks (oh and good food). November is when I celebrate my dad, my nephew, and my own birthday, not to mention Thanksgiving with my family. However, this year is different. We won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Despite the challenges, there have also been good things that have happened in 2020 too. I have a new puppy, Chloe. I have released several new books I was on NPR with Joanne Fluke (Murder, She Baked) and Edith Maxwell, and I was elected to the national board for Sisters in Crime as the Awards and Grants Liaison where I will get to give away money! I even have a bit of good news coming next year which has me excited and terrified at the same time (more to come later). However, through all of 2020’s ups and downs, I have to admit that writing has been a struggle. Normally, if I have a slump, I read or watch my favorite cozy mysteries and I’m almost instantly inspired. 2020 was more than a slump and the things that worked in the past, just didn’t cut it this year. However, deadlines still have to be met and life goes on, so I was excited when I got an opportunity to review Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity by Joy E. Held, it seemed providential.
Writer Wellness is a practical workbook that emphasizes improving creativity by regaining balance. The book emphasizes the importance of nutrition, activity, relaxation, and fitness. One of the things I liked about the book was that it includes practical activities, tips, pictures, and even a twenty-one-day plan to help remind you to focus and take small steps that will help toward achieving the balance which will result in enhanced creativity. I particularly appreciated the pictures. Held doesn’t just recommend yoga, she shows pictures of herself doing the various poses. Nothing was too strenuous or arduous that a completely out of shape, first-timer like myself couldn’t handle. The recommendations were simple and doable. Even a physical fitness reject like me can manage five minutes of activity. And, I’ll be honest, it wasn’t until I thought about it that I realized that I was getting a lot less activity sitting at home than I did when I was going into the office.
I’m not saying Writer Wellness will part the clouds and suddenly enable you to write a noble prize winning epic. However, it will help you take steps toward improving your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, which will help get your creative juices flowing. However, as with anything, you will only get out of it, what you put into it. So, if you’re feeling drained and in need of a creativity boost, I recommend Writer Wellness by Joy E. Held to help get you moving in the right direction.