It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for another posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

September 3 question – What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?

I wrote about AI last month. And using it in writing is a big NO. Images, as long as you’re not asking money for it, probably okay depending on the situation. You can read my thorough article here.

When I was younger, it didn’t matter the season or the weather, I could work full-steam ahead. In our productivity-driven society it made me fit in well. I was probably masking more than is healthy to keep up the pace, stay with the leaders of the pack, and make it all look effortless.

My “reckless” youth has caught up to me. (I’m in my mid-thirties, so make of that what you will.) It takes a lot of self-care to make sure I can create and function as I should. We’ll not get into all the mental and brain issues and other things that have me work harder just to keep up with everyone else (see masking above), just know that I get easily distracted and it takes a lot of effort and energy to do the work I love with the dedication I put into it.

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed. All the golden stars I stick in my journal for work well-done can’t make up for the lack of energy. So, like any good Millennial, I Googled the problem. And found this interesting book.

Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload.

Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers—from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe—Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for workers to replace them with a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.

Check it out on Goodreads.

My Review

I liked the examples of successful artists who embraced slow productivity – it gave me ideas to implement myself.

There were words I had to look up. LOL.

A sound argument for why pseudo-activity and constant busyness isn’t good for us and why we should focus on the core of our careers and do that well.

It spoke to me, this idea of working with the seasons and with your brain and project, instead of pushing everything like it’s an assembly line. I’m not sure how to implement it exactly, so I’ll be keeping a journal about my feelings, my work, and whatever else is relevant so I can come up with a solid plan as to when I should work and when I should rest (my mind, at least).

Seasonal Writing/Creativity

What is seasonal creativity? Well, it’s about your personal and the natural world’s creative energy seen as cycles, much like the seasons themselves. You have to start by identifying the season you’re in: intense production or rest and reflection? And what is the season of the natural world? This will help you understand how your own cycle of creativity is fuelled by the external cycle of seasons.

Unlike what we’ve been taught, you cannot be in a high creative mode every day of the year. We have to recognise that creative output is cyclical, like the natural seasons. So don’t force creativity: this leads to feelings of being stuck, blocked or empty. Rather, go with what your current creative season has for you. Your personal seasons don’t have to correlate with actual seasons. You might even have all four seasons in a single day…

Creative seasons:

Spring – when creativity is new, fresh and energetic. Best for jotting down new ideas. Inspiring.

Summer- the height of creative energy. Stay in the creative flow and keep writing. Creating.

Autumn – when self-doubt rises and creative energy ebbs. Best for finishing projects. Sharing.

Winter – it’s time for rest. Fill your creative well for the next spring and summer. Nurturing.

I have found that my personal seasons work in conjunction with the natural seasons. Though I do have some creativity in winter, it’s best used for non-fiction, audio and editing projects. It’s only about halfway through spring when I start to feel creatively fresh and new (about the same time the oak tree in my backyard starts pushing leaves). And summer barely starts when I’m racing down the writing highway at high speed… Yes, I do have several seasons in a single day (ask my dogs), but I’ve also found that there is another cycle, like my circadian clock, that’s in charge of what’s going to happen.

So I need to stop trying to be in charge of a factory and rather let nature take the lead… I’ll be more present and have a bountiful creative practice.

You can read these blog posts if you’re interested to learn more:

• The Creative Seasons for Writers
• Becoming a Seasonal Writer
• The Art of Seasonal Writing
• 4 Seasons of the Creative Practice
• Seasonal Creativity
• Exploring the 4 seasons of creativity

Book Recommendation:

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May [here’s my review]

I hope I’ve made some sense. Despite it being Spring where I am, I think I’m in a creative Winter, so I’ll be taking the month off. I’ll schedule everything on the blog and Instagram so nothing needs to come to a complete stop because I need some rest and nurturing. How about you? What do you think of seasonal creativity? You can learn loads more on my For Authors page here.