Do writers need to protect creative time like an appointment?
Join today’s dialogue as we begin to unpack how we can build a creative life that truly works for us throughout August. This week’s Dialoguers chat is now open!
August Theme: The Creative Life
Big Question: How do we build a creative life that works for us?
Week 1: Making Space
Welcome to the first dialogue in The Creative Life series we’ll be following and engaging with in August, where we’ll be asking ourselves the big question: How do we build a creative life that works for us?
This week’s focus, Making Space, invites us to consider what it really means to intentionally design and nurture a lifestyle that includes the time and space and habits that support our writing and the creative life we truly want.
One of the greatest challenges writers face is finding and making room and space (sometimes literally) for their writing.
Every writer understands the challenges that come with balancing their creative work with other work commitments and family responsibilities and unexpected interruptions with planned time on the calendar, which all come packaged with the pushes and pulls of daily life. And they understand the full weight of how those challenges can lead to creative work being pushed to the side day after day… and how that can lead to a steady stream of uncaptured ideas, blank pages, self-doubt, burnout, and a serious loss of creative momentum.
But making space for our creative lives doesn’t always have to come last or be so challenging once we know the ins and outs of what works best for us on an individual level. Yet, ironically enough, one of the best ways to figure out what will work for us is by engaging with other writers about what works, and doesn’t work, for them.
Of course, how writers make space for their writing and creative lives amid everyday responsibilities and happenings can vary widely from person to person. But having open discussions about the ways we make space for our creative lives can help us fine-tune what’s already working for us, while helping us kick what’s not working for us to the curb once and for all.
Who knows? Maybe this week’s dialogue will offer you tips on how to prioritize an hour of your day to write. Maybe it will help you develop a better writing routine in general. Or maybe it will help you figure out the best way to design your literal writing space. Either way, sharing our ideas and insight with one another will be a great place to start as we continue to explore the best ways to build the creative lives that work for us.
As you reflect on today’s question, the different responses to it, and your own creative practice, consider the different ways writers cultivate a sustainable creative life. Then participate in the poll below and share your response to the question in the comments or today’s Dialoguers chat. This way we’ll have more of your unique insight to use when we expand this discussion in Thursday’s post. Again, there is no single ‘right’ answer. Instead, each perspective offers valuable tips and insight into how we can nurture our own creativity over time.
Drafting this Dialogue
Yes, Creativity Needs Boundaries
For many writers, creativity flourishes when it’s treated as a meaningful commitment rather than like an optional activity. For them, protecting writing time like an appointment means that their creative work deserves the same respect as meetings, deadlines, or other important responsibilities. By scheduling dedicated time on their calendars, writers reduce the likelihood that their writing will continually be postponed in favor of more ‘urgent’ (but not necessarily more meaningful) tasks that are bound to pop up.
Establishing boundaries also helps develop consistency. As we explored last month, creative inspiration often arrives after we’ve already begun the work rather than before we’ve started the work. Showing up regularly to write trains both our minds and bodies to expect creative intention and engagement, making it easier to enter a productive mindset each time we sit down to write. And over time, these consistent habits build momentum, strengthen confidence, and help transform writing from an occasional event or leisurely hobby into an ongoing practice we enjoy and see benefits from. Rather than limiting creativity, a realistic and regularly scheduled time commitment can provide the stability that allows imagination, and actual writing, to thrive.
You may also find yourself strongly identifying with one or more of the following statements:
I do my best writing when I protect my writing time because I know I won’t be interrupted.
My writing deserves a place on my calendar just like any other important commitment.
Routine helps me overcome procrastination and self-doubt.
I find that inspiration appears after I begin writing more often than before I start writing.
Consistency matters more than waiting for the perfect ‘mood’ to write.
“A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” — E. B. White
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work.” — Stephen King
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” — Pablo Picasso
“I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” — W. Somerset Maugham
“The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” — Mary Heaton Vorse
To engage in further dialogue, ask:
What boundaries have helped me protect my creative time?
Have I noticed a difference in my writing when I maintain a regular schedule?
What challenges make it difficult to keep appointments with my creativity?
How do I communicate the importance of my writing time to others?
Can routine actually encourage greater creative freedom? Why or why not?
No, Creativity Should Stay Flexible
Other writers believe creativity resists schedules and rigid expectations. They find that their best ideas emerge unexpectedly, like during a walk, while driving or in the shower, while they’re in the middle of a conversation, or in those silent moments at the end or beginning of each day that can’t be planned. For these writers, placing creativity into a fixed time slot may create unnecessary pressure, making the writing process feel more like an obligation than a source of discovery or joy.
A flexible approach to creativity also recognizes that life moves through seasons and can anticipate days, weeks, or even months without writing. Energy levels, emotional experiences, life stages and milestones, and daily responsibilities constantly change, and creativity (as well as one’s creative life) often responds to those rhythms. Writers who embrace flexibility may focus less on strict schedules and more on remaining attentive to inspiration whenever it appears, or whenever they feel like putting pen to page. They may keep notebooks nearby, capture ideas throughout the day, and trust that creativity will unfold naturally when given freedom rather than constraint.
You may also find yourself strongly identifying with one or more of the following statements:
My creativity doesn’t follow a predictable schedule.
My best ideas often come while I’m away from my desk.
I need room to explore rather than force creativity.
I trust inspiration to arrive in unexpected moments.
Creativity feels strongest when I allow myself freedom instead of rigid expectations.
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou
“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” — Pablo Picasso
“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” — Meister Eckhart (often cited in discussions of creative openness)
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
To engage in further dialogue, ask:
When do my best ideas tend to appear?
Have rigid schedules ever limited my creativity?
How do I remain open to unexpected inspiration?
What role does spontaneity play in my creative process?
How do I continue making progress without a consistent writing routine?
A Mixture of Both
Many writers discover that the most sustainable creative life they can build combines routine structures with flexibility. They intentionally protect their dedicated writing time while also remaining open to moments of inspiration that arise outside those scheduled sessions. With this approach, routine creates consistency while flexibility allows creativity to remain responsive to life’s unexpected opportunities and moments of awe.
This balanced perspective acknowledges that creativity is both a discipline and a relationship with the world around us, which is full of inspiration and things worth noticing and writing about. Some days require us to show up, even when creative inspiration feels distant. Other days, we’re more inclined to follow unexpected sparks to see wherever they lead. By honoring both time commitments and unexpected exploration, writers can create practices that are resilient enough to support long-term creative growth. Instead of choosing between discipline and freedom, they often learn to let each strengthen the other.
You may also find yourself strongly identifying with one or more of the following statements:
I value both routine and spontaneity in my creative life.
A writing schedule gives me direction, but I leave room for unexpected inspiration.
Some days require more discipline while others require more curiosity.
I adapt my creative habits to the season of life I’m in.
My writing evolves when I balance commitment with flexibility.
“The muse visits during the act of creation, not before.” — Roger Ebert
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”— Nathaniel Hawthorne
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” — commonly attributed to historian Will Durant summarizing Aristotle’s philosophy.
“A routine is not a prison. It is a way of preserving the energy needed for creativity.” — Twyla Tharp
“Creative work is not a matter of inspiration or perspiration alone. It requires both discipline and play.” — a principle reflected throughout Twyla Tharp’s writings on creativity.
To engage in further dialogue, ask:
How do I balance structure with spontaneity in my writing life?
When has an unexpected moment of inspiration changed my work?
What routines support my creativity without feeling restrictive?
How do I adapt my creative practice during different seasons of life?
What does a healthy balance between commitment and flexibility look like for me?
Reflection
Making space for creativity in our lives is about more than finding extra hours in the day as often as we can. It’s about recognizing the value we place on our creative lives overall, and the priorities we make as a result.
Whether we protect our writing time with firm boundaries, embrace a flexible approach, or blend both philosophies, each intentional path we make reflects a deeper understanding of how we want to ensure our creativity grows and endures.
As you consider these perspectives, notice which statements resonate most deeply with your own experience, in both positive and negative ways. You might find yourself identifying completely with one response but adjust your view once you weigh all options.
Our writing practices often evolve as our lives change, reminding us that there is no single formula for nurturing creativity. But it is important that we regularly take a step back and determine what’s working for us, and what’s not.
The goal is not to determine the ‘right’ approach but to become more aware of the habits, beliefs, and rhythms that allow your creativity to flourish, so that you can build the creative life you truly want.
As we continue our exploration of Making Space this week, I hope these responses and reflections spark meaningful dialogues in the Dialoguers chat.
Share any thoughts, questions, or observations you have about the best ways to protect a writer’s creative time in the Dialoguers chat. Some of what comes up in our conversation may be included in Thursday’s follow-up post, where we’ll explore this topic more deeply and continue to unpack how we can ensure we make space for our creativity.
I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s perspectives in the chat!
Please don’t forget to like or share this post if you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Continue Exploring The Creative Life (August Series)
This week’s Posts: Making Space
Writing Prompts for Making Space in Your Creative Life
A Day Alive in the Lakeside Library
Consider going more in depth with this month’s theme with The Creative Life Writing Collection
Every prompt, draft, and dialogue begins a conversation, but some of those conversations deserve more of our time and attention.
If today’s post sparked an idea or practice you want to explore further, The Creative Life Writing Collection offers a guided month of prompts, craft exploration and techniques, reflection, and customized reading recommendations for writers who want to go deeper.
And if you want to explore past themes, paid subscribers also have access to the full archive, including previous writing prompts, discussions, and reading lists, as well as full access to the community chat and Daily Drafters Exclusives writing collections.
I'm a firm believer in setting a routine for my creative time. It works, and I've managed to write my first 3 books (my memoir and 2 crime fiction novels) in as many years! I get up at 5 a.m. every day. During the week, I can only invest an hour, but on weekends, I extend the writing time through the morning. The "5 a.m. club" isn't an original concept. Actually, I learned of it years ago when I met Mary Higgins Clark—and she shared in her memoir that the only way she could raise her young children as a single mom and also manage to write was to get up early before the day got started. This greatly inspired me, and I said to myself, "One day, that's how I'm going to do it." Fast-forward, and I've now put it in motion. But I will always add as my caveat that everyone has to protect the best pocket of time that works for them!