So it is with creativity.  The creative impulse, or the birth of an idea, doesn’t need – and doesn’t wait for – perfect circumstances to manifest in the world.  Although it can be very helpful for us to know what time of day we are most productive, or to establish spaces, routines and rituals to support the creative process, it is equally important to go with the flow when an idea decides to be born.

I do some of my best work at my kitchen table, while my husband is preparing dinner (I know, I’m blessed) and my children are playing in the next room.  In fact, my time and resources are so limited these days that I’ve taken to using some very helpful tools to capture that moment of inspiration when it appears.  I love 8×6 Miquelrius notebooks, as well as Moleskins, and always carry one around with me. I also love digital recorders… though lately I’ve been practicing with Dragon Dictation, an app on my iPhone that turns my voice into instant text. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. I also use the Notes app – the one that looks like a yellow legal pad  – to ‘scribble’ digital notes to myself.

To be sure, these are a lot more high tech than a manger full of hay – but the point is, instead of saying “I’ll do it when the time or place is right,” or “I’ll get to it when I have (insert your excuse here),” we can choose to be like that grateful, graceful mother so many years ago. We can say, “Thank you, this will do nicely. ”  We can welcome the birth – the nativity, if you will – of our ideas, and we can nurture them to do great things, no matter how limited our resources may be. And you never know what gifts, or blessings, might appear as a result.

CLASSICS

• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore – There are so many versions of this timeless classic! Choose one illustrated by Jan Brett, Mary Engelbreit, or my personal favorite, Gennady Spirin, whose lush paintings feature an 18th century European Christmas with a Santa straight from central casting.
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs – The award-winning, wordless picture book, in which a boy makes friends with a snowman for one magical, unforgettable night.
• A Christmas Carol – In addition to reading Dicken’s original, a fun holiday activity is to read a stage version of A Christmas Carol aloud as a family, with each person reading a different role. You can find adaptations of varying lengths and cast sizes for download online, or ask your library to recommend a version. There is also a good picture book adaptation by Dean Morrissey for younger readers.
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg – The beautifully illustrated picture book by . See the film to enrich the reading experience!

PICTURE BOOKS

• Olive the Other Reindeer, by Vivian Walsh, illustrated by J. otto Seibold –  Olive the dog misinterprets a lyric from “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” and sets off for the North Pole to find her true calling. Hilarious, unusual and endearing.
• Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury – Jan Brett may just be the ultimate authority on Christmas. This glorious collection includes seven of her wintery classics, including The Mitten, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, and The Twelve Days of Christmas.
• Santa Claus, by Rod Green. A lavish gift book in the same spirit as the ones about Fairies and Dragons, with flaps to lift, envelopes to open and other surprises, revealing the history, mystery, and magic of Santa Claus.
• The Secret of St. Nicholas, by Ellen Nibali. The real story of the original Saint Nicholas, and how he came to bring gifts secretly at night.
• The Legend of St. Nicholas: A Story of Christmas Giving, by Dandi Daley Mackall. Another look at the real legend of Saint Nick, this time through the eyes of a contemporary child.
• How Santa Got His Job, by Stephen Krensky. A hilarious peek at how Santa acquired the skill set that made him the man he is today.

CHAPTER BOOKS

• The Adventures of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan. A magical fantasy novel about Santa Claus’s daughter.
• The True Gift by Patricia McLachlan (award-winning author of Sarah, Plain and Tall.) Young Lily and her brother Liam experience a different kind of Christmas, and learn the meaning of a true gift, thanks to one white cow alone in a meadow.

‘SERIES’ BOOKS with HOLIDAY THEMES

Many, if not most, of the popular children’s book series feature a holiday editions, some more than one. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The Magic Treehouse – Christmas in Camelot, by Mary Pope Osborne
• Angelina Ballerina: Angelina’s Christmas, by Katherine Hollabird
• Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, by Jane O’Connor
• Olivia Helps with Christmas, by Ian Falconer
• It’s Christmas, David!, by David Shannon
• McDuff’s New Friend, by Rosemary Wells

* Books are evergreen – they keep on giving, well beyond the day they are received. They give with each read, and if they are subsequently shared or passed down, they keep on giving. They are like presents that can be opened over and over again.

* Books send a message to the recipient beyond that of the book itself. They tell the reader, “I care about you. I think of you as this sort of person, and therefore I think you would enjoy this book.”

* Books educate, inform and inspire. They broaden consciousness and perspective. They also cultivate curiosity, nurture the imagination, and promote a sense of wonder.

* Books provide outstanding long-term value for a relatively low cost.

* Giving young people books as gifts subliminally underscores the connection between reading and the joy of receiving, thus strengthening the association between books and pleasure.

* There are countless types, genres, styles, subjects and authors to choose from, maximizing your opportunity to find something uniquely suited to each recipient.

* If you are overwhelmed by options, or not sure where to begin to find the right book for a loved one, there are myriad resources to help. Your local bookseller is trained to help match the right book to the right person. You can also explore Amazon.com’s “listmania” lists and “Customers who bought this book also explored…” feature. You can pick up a copy of the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, American Libraries magazine or any number of other publications dedicated to reviewing books. There are even websites geared to helping people find books they love – one to explore is www.goodreads.com.

Plus, I’ll be posting next on great books to buy (or give) about reading and writing.

So give the best gift of all this year. Give books!

But I can’t afford to stop altogether – that would mean both a loss in income and a loss of ‘muscle.’ Writing is a discipline, like working out, and in order to do it well I have to stay in shape. So I need to be extra creative at this time of year to juggle the extra load and still stay somewhat sane.

Here are some of the ways I maintain focus and momentum with my writing during the holiday season:

• Organize and consolidate the gift-giving. – I try every year to come up with a unique and personal gift that will work for most of the people on my list. Last year it was a custom cookbook with all our favorite family recipes. In previous years, we’ve made bulb-planting kits, jeweled book ‘thongs’ (i.e. strappy bookmarks), and made countless yummies with recipes attached. We’ve purchased dozens of copies of one favorite book, or found unusual gifts that are also charitable contributions. This not only limits the amount of time I spend shopping (I still get individualized gifts for my immediate family and a few special friends), but it also makes the holiday budget much more manageable.

• Enlist the family’s support and assistance. – I send out over 500 holiday cards, when you factor in both personal and the corporate ones. To simplify this, I print our holiday message inside, thus greatly minimizing how many I need to hand-write in. (Again, I do put personal messages in a few, but not all.) I also print mailing labels, as opposed to hand addressing (I know – but I’m lucky to be getting out holiday cards at all, let alone hand addressing them!) Then I recruit the kids and my husband and anyone else who’s around and game to help for stuffing, labeling, sealing, stamping, mailing etc. I also lean heavily on my family for help decorating the house, tree, etc.

• Stay flexible about my writing time, and space. – While I greatly prefer to write in my home office, in the morning or early afternoon, with the door closed and a cup of tea at my side, the reality is that I have learned to write at the kitchen table with chaos going on all around me. I have also learned to write at odd hours, and in other places. For instance, I am writing this post in a waiting room while my daughter is at an appointment…

• Keep lists. - I save my holiday gift and card lists on my computer, so I can call them up each year and adjust them accordingly, rather than having to create them again from scratch. I also record the holiday bonuses we give to mail carriers, garbage collectors and other service providers, so I am consistent and don’t forget anyone.

• Remember my priorities. In the end, I know I will not look back and wish I had spent more time working, but I may well look back and wish I had spent more time with my family. December is actually my favorite time of year in our little town, as everything is so beautiful, and everyone is in high spirits… and I love our family’s annual holiday traditions.  Whenever I feel myself getting stressed about my own agenda being short-changed, I make a point to check in with my true north – my family and loved ones come first. And they deserve to have my full attention, not a stressed-out, irritable or distracted version of me – at the holidays, and all year long.

How do you maintain your sanity, focus and productivity during the holidays?

Dumpy Saves Christmas

Dumpy Saves Christmas (Hardcover)
by Julie Andrews Edwards (Author), Emma Walton Hamilton (Author)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

It’s Christmas Eve on Merryhill Farm, and Charlie can’t fall asleep. There’s a loud crash on the roof – and who should appear but Santa and a broken-down sleigh. Now how will all of the children in the world receive their presents from Santa? Dumpy comes to the rescue, of course, as Santa and Charlie load up Dumpy’s dumper with presents, hitch up the reindeer, and head off to a glorious star-filled night to travel the globe and spread love and good-will wherever they go.

This third story in the Dumpy( the Dump Truck series will warm readers’ hearts and spread holiday cheer just as it demonstrates the importance of teamwork and cooperation.