Everyone is creative. Just ask Charlotte Rains Dixon.
Creative Dialogue #2
Creative Dialogues is an ongoing project to learn from fellow artists. I’ve interviewed an astonishingly wonderful variety of creative individuals about their art, creative practices, and how they make it all work (interviews are ongoing — DM me if you’d like to participate).
How it works: I send every participant a list of questions about creativity and the creative practice. They respond to the five questions that resonate most, so every interview reflects the artist’s own curiosities and interests.
Today’s interview is with author (and professional writing badass, just between you and me) Charlotte Rains Dixon.
Charlotte Rains Dixon writes stories about places you long to live filled with people you’d love to know. She is the author of The Bonne Chance Bakery, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior, and Let There Be Snow. When not writing fiction, Charlotte teaches writing in England, Italy, France, and around the Pacific Northwest, and writes a weekly love letter on Substack. She also coaches writers privately. She is Director Emeritus and a current mentor at the Writer's Loft, a certificate-in-writing program at Middle Tennessee State University. Charlotte earned her MFA in creative writing from The Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing.
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If you were a piece of creative work, such as a book, song or painting, what would you be?
I would be House of Knowledge, a sculpture by Jaume Plensa, gazing out at the world while filled with symbols and words to interpret it.
Do you have a creative routine? If so, what is it? If not, why not?
My creative routine takes place in the early morning. I rise at 5 (no alarm needed, I wake at the same time every day automatically), grab my coffee, and go to the page to work on my current novel-in-progress. I write for an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the day ahead. This is often my favorite part of the day!
I believe that everybody is creative.
How do you replenish your creative energy when you’re feeling depleted?
I am a big believer in constantly replenishing the well. I do this by reading (words in, words out), getting outside in nature, knitting, stitching, and spending time with my family and friends. Quality time is my love language.
Which artists do you return to again and again? What do you love about their work?
Novelists Barbara O’Neal and Jenni Colgan write the kinds of books I love. I adore their quirky yet very real characters, found and other types of families and lush settings.
What is one thing you believe about creativity that most people would disagree with?
I believe that everybody is creative. I know many people who disagree with that because they feel that they aren’t! But I think they’ve either not found a creative outlet they love or they are afraid to try something.
It’s a cliché to say that the world needs your voice, but it’s true. The world needs your voice.
What is one thing this community can do to support you and your work?
Continue to talk about creativity and share ideas on how to keep the flame alive!
Any final thoughts on creativity you’d care to leave us with?
The main pillar of my coaching practice is to give people the encouragement they need to just do it. It’s a cliché to say that the world needs your voice, but it’s true. The world needs your voice. And you need to express your voice as well. So, please. Just go do it.
More ways to support Charlotte:
Check out her creative writing workshops
This is just lovely, Robin, thank you so much!