I haven’t known a book to affect me so profoundly as My Name is Asher Lev. The conflict is deep, searing, cutting to the core. It helped me to understand better the nature of being a creative person and the sacrifice it takes to be authentic and honest, even to the point of hurting others. The book is a long, slow burn, every page necessary to set up the final conflict. At the end I was racing through, dreading the end as tears sprung to my eyes and yet terribly curious about how the author would resolve the conflict. How grateful I am that there is a part two, The Gift of Asher Lev, now waiting for me at the library, ready to be picked up in just a few minutes. Continue reading “Book Review: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok – a soul-searching must for every creative”→
Do you go to your specially designated study to write?
Do you paint your latest masterpiece in a light-filled studio?
Do you shut the door when you enter your room?
Why do secret hideaway places draw us like magnets?
I wanted a room of my own when I first discovered Louisa May Alcott as a kid. There was an illustration of Louisa in her special room where it was quiet and she could think. When she had finished writing her latest poem or story, she could indulge in her other favorite passion, running, by racing out the door to her room that led outside.
drawing by Flora Smith from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard
Getting away from the noise
Louisa’s family was noisy; quiet and privacy were hard to come by. Journals were a community affair with the parents writing notes in the margins. Louisa’s father Bronson often encouraged the children to read from their journals during the evening meal. Louisa was criticized by her father for writing too much about herself.
No wonder then that Louisa spent much of her life seeking out rooms of her own.
Finding a separate space
I used to think that a separate space away from everyone was necessary in order to create. A busy household with younger children makes finding quiet time difficult. It’s even more difficult when your home is too small to afford a separate space.
This was when I began to learn that any space could be a room of my own. The physical space was not the key; it was the rituals you established that created that space.
illustration by Flora Smith, from The Story of Louisa May Alcott by Joan Howard
With that kind of mindset, a room of one’s own can be portable.
You might think it’s a waste of time to explore tools and work routines.
It is time well-invested. In the end, it saves time.
Why?
It took me hours, days, weeks, even months to figure out what worked for me. I searched diligently for those t00ls, those routines that would catapult me away from the world into my creative “zone” in an instant.
I can set up anywhere, anytime, in quiet spaces and noisy ones too. The rituals and tools I use act as a trip wire, sending me into my head for a delicious time of writing.
My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
