Since I’m a multipassionate polymath, I definately have my fair share of unfinished projects. Yet, it doesn’t really bother me. One reason why is because when I stick with a project, I know it’s deeply meaningful to me. Projects with temporary appeal don’t stick.
But over the past year, I’ve noticed something interesting about my creative process, especially if I’m working on something long term. Since the start of last year, I’ve been writing a work of fanfiction (It’s a Miraculous fanfic. I’m a little embarrassed, but I’m not sorry.). It’s the longest fiction story I’ve written in a really long time. There have been quite a few moments where I’ve gone for weeks without working on it. At those times, I was absolutely sure I would end up abandoning it.
But after those few weeks, I would come back, reread what I wrote, and feel a new burst of creative energy. Then I would be back to writing the story again, sometimes daily.
Working this way has become a pattern. Even my blog post writing has this push and rest kind of cycle. However, with high priority writing projects, I usually try to show up for them daily, even if I’m not feeling the creative energy flowing. But honestly, I’m jealous of my fanfiction writing process, and I’m playing with the idea of making my nonfiction writing process more like it.
Every time I think I might be losing interest in my fanfic, I’m pulled right back into it again, often with more ideas than when I took a break. I’ve reached a point where I no longer fear not finishing this project because it’s something I love returning to, over and over.
It’s altering my perspective of what finishing a project could look like. Sometimes it’s not about pushing through consistently from start to finish. Sometimes it’s about being willing to return and start again. I can start from wherever I left off on a project as often as I want. If I start enough times, eventually what I’m working on will be finished.
(P.S. Looking for more inspiration on how to manage your projects as a multipotentialite? You may like my book,I Want to Do All the Things: Finding Balance as a Polymath, Multipotentialite & Renaissance Soul)