LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas

In the spring of 2016 I rented a cabin that was a morning’s drive away from home, kidnapped my editor-turned-writing-partner, and we settled in for a weekend of nothing but writing, punctuated with morning yoga, lots of coffee (of course, duh), and brief breaks for eating and motivating each other.

It was my happy place.

Because of that productive weekend (she hit 10,000 words, and I worked on my now-published novel Girl on Fire, as well as a new work in progress), I developed Creativity Hour to keep the momentum going. Now I want to invite you.

You don’t have to come in person; actually, I want you to find your own place because I can be a bit of a hermit. :p Choose whatever creative project you currently have or have always dreamed about beginning. Then, pick an hour for Saturday, January 4, turn off your phone, ignore Facebook, and tell your family only to interrupt you if there’s blood or fire.

The window I’ll be using is 11:00-3:00pm EST. I encourage you to use any hour that day that works best for your schedule. The original Creativity Hour, which took place several times, was an international event, spanning across time zones and continents. Be a part of it!

Keeping in line with the original version, any act of creativity is welcome!

How Does Creativity Hour Work?

It’s simple. Right now, pick an hour on Saturday that you will use for your project. Write it in your calendar, and at that time, let your family know that you’re off-limits. Or even better, invite them to join you in doing something creative!

Turn off your phone and minimize distractions.

Before Creativity Hour, prepare yourself mentally and physically. Decide what space you’ll use, and have any materials you know you’ll need at hand. For this edition, I called my local library and reserved a study room, where I’ll spend my hour (actually, several), working on my current novel draft.

Spend one hour (or more) writing, dancing, singing, playing an instrument, painting, drawing, sewing, crocheting…truly, the sky is the limit!

Afterward, share your project with me and everyone else by posting it on Instagram! To share it and possibly be featured in an upcoming Creativity Hour, include the following in your post:
#creativityhour #lifesoupblog @cheriedawnhaas

Share this blog post with your friends who could use a bump to prioritize their writing, dancing, or anything else. By participating, you’ll give your project the attention it deserves and you’ll get further on it than if you choose to do something more important, like washing the dishes. Again. 😉

I’ll be online after the hour to check in with you, so don’t let me down! If we all do this together, then we’ll be stronger for it. I want you to make time for yourself, and I want your creative projects to flourish.

Keep in mind, you can work on something that’ll be finished within the hour or, even more exciting, work toward something that could take you a year to complete. Imagine how it’ll feel when you’re finished! And don’t worry–I won’t leave you hanging, cheese doodles. After this Creativity Hour I’ll set a date and time for the next one, and together, we’ll continue to make amazing things.

“See” you then!

Peace, love, and fire,
Cherie Dawn