Over the last few months, I found myself reading Brain Pickings on the regular. I never thought of myself as a particularly creative person. I do not identify as an artist. Until recently, I did not feel comfortable labeling myself as a writer; I felt like an impostor even as I published my first peer reviewed piece and continued writing on this blog. I pushed through the impostor syndrome to continue writing and to seeking out creative practice resources as I fell in love with editorial process that comes from writing in peer reviewed publications.
I've come a long way since I gave my first professional presentation in 2011 and am starting to identify as a writer. As I wrapped up a series of projects this fall, I realized I needed to think critically about my own creative process; what works, what doesn't, what feels good, what doesn't. There is a vast body of literature that is constructive and inspirational. This winter, I started reading and embarked on a creative practice bootcamp. Creative practice bootcamp pushed me to think about my own writing very differently. Creative practice bootcamp also inspired me to reconsider how I teach the research process in my library instruction sessions, a happy and unexpected outcome!
Over the next few weeks, I am planning to share some of my experiences, eureka moments, and lesson plans on the blog.
Instructional technology taught me about extensibility. Tools need to adapt for future uses not necessarily foreseen by their original designers. I consider extensibility in my creative practice as well. I've identified routines, tools, and workflows that will (hopefully) evolve with me as I grow as a writer and take on more complex projects. In any event, I have a fantastic bibliography of resources that I can revisit as my routines and habits evolve.
