Hello March, how did you get here so fast?

It’s the first day of autumn. On the sunny Gold Coast it still feels like summer. Yesterday, I learnt that it hadn’t dropped below 20 degrees Celsius (even at night) since the beginning of the year – a record apparently. Most days have been hovering around the 30 mark with nights in the low 20s, so the fans and aircon have been working overtime. Hot, humid, and deliciously summery.

A change in seasons often comes with a change in moods. The days are getting shorter, the nights will get cooler, and creativity may wane. It’s okay to cut yourself some slack and take a day off to reassess and recharge, especially if you have had a busy start to the year. While January felt like it dragged on for three months, February zoomed past as if it was on fast forward – the four weeks felt like four days, even with the extra day to account for the leap year thrown in.

Around this time of year motivation falters, any resolutions or new year goals are often thrown to the sidelines and everyday hustle and bustle gets in the way. Sitting down to watch the latest Netflix release seems a lot more attractive than working on your book, business, or whatever goal you’ve set for yourself.

Two months in is a good time to reassess.

Is what you set for yourself still realistic? Is it still important to you?

It’s okay to change your mind. Life is all about change and growth. Sometimes it’s two steps forward and one step back.

The beauty of creativity is that it doesn’t have a timeline. It exists in everything that we do with each day being a blank canvas to live out our story.

If you’re feeling like you’ve hit a wall with your creative projects, it’s okay to take a step back, cut yourself some slack, and do something different. You can still be creative without writing a book or painting a picture.

8 Ways to Be Creative (that isn’t writing)

• Try out a new recipe and give it your own fresh spin with spice and ingredient swaps
• Dance around your living room as you listen to your favourite tunes
• Go on a walk in a place you haven’t been to in your local area and take photos of the interesting things that catch your eye
• Check out a local museum or art gallery
• Watch a documentary that you wouldn’t normally tune into
• Rearrange your home office/pantry/bookshelf
• Mix and match your wardrobe to put together three new outfits
• Grab a blanket and a book, head to the park, and spend an hour or two reading under a tree

What can you do today to reignite your creative spark?

My March 2024 Creative Goals

For the first time in a long time, I didn’t set specific goals for the year. All I wanted to do is make sure that I included a bit of creativity in my everyday and enjoyed the journey that I’m on.

Publish the first book in a new series set in Queensland Wine Country. This book just finished with a beta reader and is about to go to a proofreader. This book was so much fun to write.

Continue writing the draft of book two in the series. I’m about 12% into the book and going strong. I actually outlined the story (rarely happens) with the key plot points, so now it’s just filling in the details. Sounds easy enough…in theory anyway! I’d like to finish by end of month but I’d rather just write a little each day then have the pressure of a set deadline looming over me which would probably just curb my creativity and give me writers’ block.

Be a Winemaker for the Weekend at the Queensland College of Wine and Tourism. I’ve signed up for a weekend and I can’t wait to go and pick grapes and learn all about wine. Wine and writing – two of my favourite things! This is part research and part fun. As the series I’m writing is set in the Granite Belt, this was a perfect opportunity to escape and try something new.

Continue working on and preparing for an exciting project coming soon. I can’t wait to share the details with you once everything is set.

What creative pursuits are you embarking on in March?