I’ve been on a journey of sorts whilst working from the U.K. and Paris throughout the last three weeks. Change is as good as a holiday and this working holiday has meant a dramatically different work backdrop.
It’s been a treat writing up marketing copy for properties in Australia, whilst the Seine river and English country gardens have been just beyond my laptop.
Tanya was born in England and spent her childhood here, whilst I lived here previously in my early twenties for a short time. While here I enjoyed a fancy-free extended working holiday, with more trekking about Europe than work.
This time around, it’s been different. In addition to chasing dreams, forming goals and applying myself to research/bettering our business, I have been inspired.
What inspires people is of course dependent on individual taste. Me? Each time I visit Paris, I visit Joan of Arc in Notre Dame.
In London, I see the Globe Theatre on the Thames, even if it’s just passing by on foot or river cruise.
Writers typically are habitual folk by nature and I’m no exception, so these places need to be ticked off.
For the first time however recently, I visited the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton.
Well, as a writer and particularly a female writer, I scolded myself for not having gone sooner.
I took my time and wandered through the gardens, watched the introductory video in its entirety and took in plenty of details in the house.
I looked upon the home and information within it from the perspective of a writer.
As someone who is hired to provide marketing content, which I/we seriously enjoy, I do typically feel the need to separate this work from my additional creative works.
Immersing myself in Jane’s world however, I took on board a few lessons. Upon leaving, I realised that all can be applied to both realms of work.
What I learnt “from Jane” can be considered when creating both professional marketing content that we produce for clients and my own projects.
These are my lessons I took on board:
1> Your environment affects your work
Jane had a recognisably unproductive period when she was upheaved from the comfortable, familiar family home and moved to Bath. Whilst in Bath, she didn’t actually write much and certainly didn’t have work published. Even though in this day and age we are fortunate to be able to “work/write on the go” and anywhere really, it’s true that our surroundings and circumstances play a big part in what we create. An inspiring environment, or perhaps just a familiar one, depending on how you are inclined, is key to producing good work.
2> Walk!
Jane would walk in and around Chawton for around two hours every afternoon, rain or shine, mostly with her sister, Cassandra. The exercise, fresh air and time to brainstorm and discuss her ideas was paramount to her moving forward with her works. Interestingly, at the recent and BRILLIANT London Screenwriter’s Festival that I attended here in London, two very prolific screenwriters advised the same habit. With four-five decades of work and success between the two of them, they both swore by a daily walk. Each cited this as one of the best methods to work through problems, cure writer’s block and generally be inspired. I have been all too guilty of putting off a walk most days because of an array of excuses, mostly deadlines, or general busyness. No more! If walking can aid my work, then walking it is!
3> Even Jane Austen made (spelling) mistakes
I SO loved seeing at least one example, in a hand-written letter, that Jane Austen misspelled words. I’ve agonised over infrequent but noticed (by me!) mistakes and face-palmed myself long after I’ve rectified them. Proofreading is paramount and I still stand by that. But I recognise that although we do our darndest to prevent them, if one or two mistakes happen, as long as we fix them promptly and recognise how they happened, it is not worth the high blood pressure to dwell on them!
4> Keep working and don’t stay stagnant waiting
Jane worked on several drafts of her books at once, rearranging chapters, changing titles and revising even some published works. Given her outstanding success, I really take this to be a positive thing and have noted that it is best not to totally focus on one job/project for too long and singularly. Once its done and whilst awaiting the next step, moving on to something else is a good thing.
5> Enjoy a routine
As above, writers tend to be set in their ways and are often habitual folk. Jane was no exception and had the same routine day in, day out, in terms of when she wrote. She wrote in the morning, for several hours. I took on board that having set hours of intense focus may make for a better balance on the whole, as opposed to the sporadic set-up with time that sometimes happens throughout the week due to the times that jobs come in and what else springs up in my day.
And in closing, Jane’s reported close-knit family were some of her biggest fans. The letter I read on the wall to a cousin after Jane’s passing from her sister Cassandra, was heartfelt and was testament to their closeness.
Another reminder that whilst writing can be a solo act, whether you are a copywriter in industry, freelance, or a creative writer in another realm, you’ve got to keep perspective and not shut out your loved ones.
After all, what is it really all for?
If you are in the U.K., or travelling there in the near future, make a trip to Chawton!
Have you visited Jane’s house? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter!
