There are two parts of creativity that I’ve been able to delve very deeply into since I quit my day job last June. The first is writing. From National Novel Writing Month this November to the publishing three ebooks, posting on this blog, and the magazines I contribute to, it has not been an idle six months. As I predicted, the time that I had squished writing into: weekends, evenings, and stolen hours while my husband and son slept upstairs, expanded into the daylight hours. I was much more productive — if cash strapped — and the result was that the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write.

The flourishing of creative energy in writing led me to the second category: exploring new skills. In publishing the three e-books, I need to figure out marketing strategies to help readers find me. This led to the development of book trailers. Never having put fingers to a MAC before, I found iMovie easy as putting together a Kodak Gallery album. From one, two, and then three videos, I found my hours in the studio (and my relationship with the MAC at the library growing).

All of this creativity nudged me to bring back an idea that I nourished while on maternity leave: the idea of a webseries inspired by the antics of the popular U.S. and U.K. OFFICE television franchise. Last spring I wrote the pilot script, we had rehearsals, and one day of filming to prepare a segment for the launch of Creative Commons Qatar. The project was a great one that fell by the wayside because of lack of funds for the production expenses.

Then a friend told me about Kickstarter, a website where anyone in the world can donate to make a project happen: whether film, cartoons, gadgets –if you can think it, and people will donate to it, then you have 30 days to raise your needed funds.

I’m excited to close 2011 with a MISH MISH Kickstarter. We need $10,000 to film a quality pilot episode. This holiday season think about donating in someone’s honor: there are character naming rights as well as Producer credits. Every amount accounts — the least because you’ll be helping get original content out there to challenge mainstream plot lines and a very Caucasian centric industry.

Whether you give to MISH MISH or not, this year find a way to nurture the creative person inside you. And given a helping hand to the artist, writer, musician nearest you.