52 Qualities of Prosperous Writers : my weekly inspirational newsletter! 🙂 It arrives, on time, I read it a day later and then if the topic moves me, off I go to write. It’s great motivation!

This week’s topic is creativity.

As many folks know, I up and quit my high paying corporate job three+ years ago to become a professional photographer. Granted, I already had been a photog for two years, but the big leap came at a time of prosperity, personal re-evaluation and absolute desire.

I went from guaranteed paycheck to the hope that something would come in. Cushy office to smelly old house (but still cute!). Technology centric job to a 90% creativity based one.

I remember when I’d first gotten started, my mother asked me where all the artistic stuff had come from. I had no idea, I just really liked it. And it morphed into a full-time gig.

Then, when I wrote my first novel, my mother asked me how in the world I came up with the story …. let alone put it all down in a cohesive form. I had no idea, I just really liked it.

Then I started writing flash fiction, short stories, articles, got published …. it morphed into a not-really-full-time-but oh-so-much-fun gig.

Then I wrote my second novel and started my third.

No, I’m not a published author yet — as far as my novels go … but I LOVE my stories. I write because I come up with a character and must … absolutely … tell her story.

It’s like working with a bride and groom to photograph their big day — I must, absolutely, tell their story : in pictures.
It’s like working with an infant, tiny, helpless, scrunchy — I must, absolutely, tell his story.

No, I don’t get to do this all full-time right now … life gets in the way, so do bills, kids that need braces, break their wrists and grow out of their clothes. The economy sucked in the last year, so things changed… or as I said before …

it morphed …

into…

a passion-filled, creativity induced world of story telling via photographs and the written word.

What am I going to do with all my creativity?

Revel in it. Build upon it. Listen to it. Follow it. Create from it.

And you? What will you do?