my writing process { a blog tour }

I am constantly inspired by the world Katie and Reuben of  House of Humble are creating. A simple existence where hands are often dirty plucking this or that from the vegie garden, tending chickens or creating time honoured crafts to warm their homes. Katie's words are rich and nourishing and it is a space I love to visit.  So when she asked me to share my writing process as part of a blog tour I was delighted. The creative process in all its guises is something I am very passionate about.

What am I working on?
My head is always a whirligig of something or another. I have been thoroughly enjoying exploring the concept of creativity with my Everyday Creative series and am doing my darnedest to break the shackles often attached to the word. I believe we are innately creative as humans and have simply become misguided with incorrect labels and self-doubt. I've got some more practical posts in the pipeline to hopefully help people to bridge the gap. Jotting down the small changes we have made in our lives to tread more gently on the earth has also been incredibly rewarding and something I will continue for quite a while; the list is growing! And as with anyone who adores the written word, there is always the dream of a book. A special journal is kept tucked away in my writing space (and my heart) with musings, ideas for some day...one day.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Genres are something I stray away from when it comes to my writing.  I've never set out to create a specific space with highly specialised content rather trying to speak authentically about my everyday, simple life. This will sweep from what's happening in my kitchen, the beauty of the natural world, creating with my babies, the plight of the earth and what's on my knitting needles, or simply swirling about my brain. With no real pigeon hole to nest in I feel free to write whatever comes from within; my heart's voice.

How does my creative process work?
I tend to view the world through the lens of my camera lately and the little sparks of magic I capture inspire me greatly.  Internal dialogue is never far away when I look at the world from a different angle and before I know it, sentences are forming as I hang out the morning washing or stir the evening's soup. I keep a few notebooks about the house and jot down ideas and  phrases when they pop into my head. With a penchant for subtle hues and patterns I find I am most eager to fill more beautiful notebooks with words but little scraps of household paper however, will often bear my scrawl. Always a lead pencil...and most often, barely legible.

Why do I write what I do?
I am compelled to capture all the beauty in my world; my list of gratefuls. The crumbs on the floor, the toddler tantrums; the mundaneness are as much a part of the day as the stolen kiss from sister to brother, the wonky shopping list written in crayon attached to the fridge and the vivid, Winter blue sky. And I've realised that the unpleasant moments flit off just as quickly as the beautiful ones.  It's not about ignoring the "real" parts but simply shifting the perspective; the good things are real too. So it is with the marriage of words and images that I hope to catch the everyday beauty. To trap the simplicity in a butterfly net and admire it slowly while the world hurtles past. This space has become a journal of my slow, simple days and my musings help to preserve them.

I am eager to pass the torch onto my beautiful friend Anna from fields of sage. Her words are like poetry and I visit her space often to let their melody wash over me.

Steph x