[Lisa] Lisa returns for another episode of Lisa Chats With! Today I have someone with me whom we all remember with great fondness although she left the blogosphere. But I've bought her back to talk you again! Everyone welcome Snapper! *Applauds*

How are you today, Snaps?

[Snapper] Hello Lisa and hello everyone! *bows* It's awesome to be back on the blogosphere and I'm so honored that Lisa asked me to come visit! And today's going great, I'm glad to report! You?

[Lisa] Pretty good, although I pulled an all nighter last night. Not the brightest of my ideas, to be honest.

[Snapper] An all nighter! I hope it's one of those all-nighters that comes with good memories, though?

[Lisa] Absolutely! My siblings and I just wanted to try it out once. We can do that now that it's summer and there's no school. Speaking of school, you stopped blogging because of studies, didn't you? How was your first year of college?

[Snapper] That sounds like such a fun time—especially since you got to do it with siblings. There's always that point around 4 am when EVERYTHING is hilarious for no reason. XD That's right! I miss blogging so much, but my first year of college turned out to be a great learning experience! I can't say it was easy, but there were so many invaluable lessons I received there in addition to my academics.

[Lisa] School's awesome like that, isn't it? You learn about life too! I finished school recently and am on gap year now!

I think you told me that you are too?

[Snapper] I am! One of the things I learned while at college was the four-year college experience wasn't for me. While I transfer to a community college, I'm taking a gap year. How's the "gap year" experience been for you these past few months?

[Lisa] We're all different and that's great! I'm glad you have been figuring out your direction, as that's really what we're all doing in these student years, right? My gap year has been good so far! It's been an interesting experience after years of having a set sort of routine, doing what I'm asked to do every day. This freedom is almost uncomfortable.

Relate?

[Snapper] Definitely! There's always more options to explore, and so excited for the next adventure ahead. I'm so glad to hear that! I totally relate though, especially since I had a packed schedule at college. Unless I had my hobbies and work, I would feel entirely lost with the free time.

[Lisa] I'm glad you have work! It's important to keep busy. I've been thinking a lot about discipline and mental energy lately, and how one has to really manage ones own creative time and flow. Do you think it's easier to manage it when one is free or when one is busy? Often when we're studying or working, we squeeze creativity into the little crevices of time we have. But when we have all this time on our hands, it's disorienting. It's like you get lost and start to feel unmotivated because you feel you cannot fill up your empty time. Do you have any routines or rhythms that you've been following that help you stay focused? Since you're working, it's probably not so bad for you, but we writers really need self management.

[Snapper] That's such a great question, and I think it's really important for creators to consider or we risk getting lost in that limbo of unmotivation that you mentioned. That, or obligations with school and work overtake our creative time. Personally, I've found is much easier to manage when I have work. Right now I only work 20 hours a week on average, which leaves me plenty of time to spend time with my family and spend time creating. For me, I feel that it makes my creative times more fulfilling.

To stay focused, I keep a bullet journal to give myself a general guideline of what things I want to do in a day. It's helped me to organize my free time so I don't feel so lost. I also have been participating in the July Camp NaNoWriMo, which has given me somewhere to focus a lot of my creative energy while I'm developing my creative habits. Self management is definitely something I'm still learning, and it's like a puzzle. Some things work, and some things don't, and learning what works for me is a welcome part of the process!

[Lisa] Yes, fellow bullet journaler *high five* and I totally forgot Camp Nano even existed. Oops? How's that been going for you?

[Snapper] It's been a great Camp NaNo so far! I took a day to write 10k in a day, something I did with a few writer friends of mine. So I'm in a good position for my goal right now. XD

[Lisa] Wow, #respect GOOD ON YOU. That's a lot of words in a day. Nano tends to bring out the monster in us. But back to what you said, making to do list and planning out our days, whether by calendar blocking hours or just writing a three item to do list, can be so helpful! And ticking things off can be so satisfying! And speaking of Nano, it can also be really useful to sort of package ones creative endeavors in short or long term projects, so that it feels like we're working towards something! It's like goal setting... but instead of a broad goal like "write this book", it could be "write 50k of this book this month". Projects are such fun!

Personally I'm trying to create little daily and weekly routines, like, write one short piece each week, draw everyday, draw a larger piece each month, and then, like I said, projects, like draw 300 heads in a month. Which I failed at. I only did 150. But anyway.

[Snapper] For sure! I love how you referred to it as "packaging" when it comes to creative projects! Finishing a goal can be so rewarding, and it's much more manageable. I love that you're making it weekly and daily, since it gives you such a broad spectrum of creative projects to explore regularly. Regardless, 150 heads is so impressive!! *applause* By setting that 300 heads goals, you achieved much more than you would've without it, which is amazing!

[Lisa] Ahh thank you thank you *deep bow* Absolutely! So in summary, our thoughts on managing writing and creative projects, whether in times of busyness or freedom, includes

• daily plans and to dos
• regular routines
• short and long projects

I'd also like to add that I think it's important to manage ones workflow with ones brain! Because sometimes we feel like we need to keep pushing, when we need a break. But sometimes we don't have inspiration, but we need to keep on pushing. Make sense? So it's a process to get to know ones own process and then to manage it.

Do you have anything else to add?

[Snapper] Yes! Being organized with my time allows me to be creative with minimal distractions. That's such an important point, too, and I entirely agree! To refer to the topic of your previous Chats With, taking care of mental health should take priority! Learning what we need in the moment can really help us to prevent burnout and use creativity as a fulfilling hobby.

[Lisa] And got any final advice for people also taking a gap year?

[Snapper] Honestly, I'm still figuring out the gap year myself, but I think it's important to look at taking a gap year as another learning experience. Even though it has nothing to do with academics, it's a valuable opportunity to learn to manage time, to work on self-growth and to build relationships! We're just at the beginning of our gap year, and I'm so excited to see where it takes us!!

[Lisa] Oh one more thing before we drop our music reccs, my cousin messaged me today to tell me she is watching and loves this Chinese drama that stars (NiF's) Fei Liu's actor! Just wondering if you'd like the link to it by any chance?

[Snapper] uMMMM AbSoLuTeLy!!! *excessive fangirling* It's probably been a year since I watched Nirvana in Fire (already?? 0-o) and I would love to have the link!!

[Lisa] Awesome I'll be sure to send it to you!

And now we must wrap up with music! Pls drop up to five reccs! What you've been listening to on repeat lately, that dropped recently, or will come out soon!

[Snapper's Music Recommendations]

1. Hymn of Heaven - Phil Wickham - This album is such a fantastic line-up of worshipful songs, and I HIGHLY recommend giving it a listen. The sound, the vibe, all of it is simply beautiful.

2. Scaled and Icy - Twenty One Pilots - This is Snapper confessing she's a hardcore Twenty One Pilots fan. I know this album has had some controversy, but personally, I love it's upbeat sound and deep lyrics. It's one I regularly listen to on the way to and back from work! If I had to recommend a specific song from this album, though, I'd suggest giving "Mulberry Street" or "The Outside."

3. Just Begun - WILD - This song has a wonderful indie vibe to it, and since I'm just beginning my gap year, the idea of something "just beginning" seems fitting. XD

[Lisa] I'm recommending some songs from my summer playlist!

[Lisa's Recommendations of the Week]

- Dreamers by Ateez (it's gorgeous and the summeriest thing I've seen and heard all year)

- Fall So Hard by Christopher (he's got some really nice songs besides this one, but this one is upbeat!)

- Not Sad Anymore by Clara Mae (YouTube suggested this to me randomly hehe)

- 2014 by Jake Scott (I'm really into his music these days, and this one is actually quite nostalgic)

I'm trying hard not to flood y'all with Korean music recommendations because that has been my musical life lately, to be honest. I will be sure to listen to all your choices, especially Twenty One Pilots! And I love Phil Wickham's music a lot too.

[Snapper] Summer songs!! I'll love to listen to these too!

[Lisa] It's been such a pleasure to have you Snapper! Will you chose our ending sign off? Be as creative as you wish ~

[Snapper] I've had such a great time talking about creativity and gap years with you, Lisa! Once again, thank you so much!

Until next time!

Snapper and Lisa out ~