Dana Corbit Fills the Creative Well

My name is Dana Corbit, and I'm a writer. Some days that's an announcement I am thrilled to make, and other times I have to push the words out like a first-timer in a Ten-Step Program. Still, the truth remains, on those better days and on the worse ones, that I am a writer, who couldn't stop even if I tried, even on days when my creative well isn't damp enough to make a mud mask. That's why filling my creative well is so important to me. Other the years, I've done this in a variety of ways: attending conferences or retreats, spending quiet time in prayer, attending weekend sessions with my fabulous critique/support group the POTL's, and having "business" lunches with writer friends.

This fall, though, I tried something new: I went on a writer's adventure. Sure, I had another reason to be in Boston. Attending Parents' Weekend at my daughter's college was the original plan, but I decided to make the trip double as the injection of creativity I so badly needed. Okay, part of the reason for doubling was my status as the broke parent of a college student, but I digress.

So here's what I did:

• I took the Detroit-Chicago-Atlanta-Boston flight. Okay, that was mostly for the broke part (and frequent-flyer miles), but it was an adventure, from the medical emergency I witnessed at Chicago Midway to the delay on the tarmac in Atlanta to severe turbulance that convinced me I would be seeing God that day instead of Boston Harbor.


• Avoiding cabs, I took the "T" all over Boston, wearing my computer backpack and dragging my suitcase behind me. I'm a bit of a chicken, so this was a big deal for me. :)


• I stayed in a B & B instead of a hotel to experience more of the local flavor. Great experience. I would do it again in a minute.


• On the way home, I took the Amtrak trip - all 19 hours of it - and wrote and wrote and wrote.

All in all, it was a blast, and that doesn't even include the visit with my daughter, which was amazing and dear. Am I rejuvenated? Absolutely. Is that well full? Oh yeah. And will there be a book in my future coming out of Boston or on a cross-country train ride? Count on it.

What are some of the ways the rest of you fill your creative wells? I'd love to hear about them.

Blessings to you all.

Dana Corbit