Strategy in creativity: bold visual tracking (Archived)

Is it possible to be strategic in a creative space?

The walls around my writing desk are a landscape of tiny squares of brightly coloured cardboard blue-tacked to the walls. A bold, big-picture view of my writing projects and intentions keeps me organised, motivated and strategic. My plans are visible, simple and adaptable in an instant.

The process started a year ago when I wrote all my writing projects, large and small, on tiny pieces of cardboard and stuck these to my wall. Some projects were stale and old, some were okay, and some projects I was really excited about. Some were complete, some half-complete and others sparks or ideas. The wall allowed me to organise them into columns and rows reflecting this. I positioned these where I could see them when I was stuck and sighing over a blank page. They remind me how creative I am.

This evolved into a system to track publishing opportunities. When I spot an opportunity or a themed call I write it on a coloured piece of cardboard (I use brightly coloured study notes from Officeworks cut into quarters and halves) and bluetack it to a different wall. These shift across the wall from an opportunities section into a ‘target’ space — something I am focused on this month.

Themed calls or opportunities list the closing date and word count. They march across the wall as they approach their closing date and become more urgent. Brainstorming or pondering a themed call tickles off new ideas. Writing projects cycle between competitions and opportunities as they are entered or rejected.

This system presents a snap-shot of where I am and the direction I intend to take (although a submission spreadsheet is vital to track history). When I receive a rejection and feel flat, the cards are a visual reminder of how vibrant and busy the world is and how many fresh opportunities beckon. Rejected or unsuccessful pieces cycle back into the ‘completed and ready to go’ flock to be considered for other themed calls or competitions, or get sent to my ‘plot pot’, which is my edit/review section.

Maps help us figure out where we are, where we want to be and the route required to get there. Do tiny neat notes in a closed book or spreadsheet really work for you?

Where would a bold, visual map of your goals and direction lead you?

(Posted 22 Nov 2019. Follow me at: https://nicolewalshauthor.com/)