A guest post by Ollin Morales of Courage 2 Create

Most people don’t recognize how debilitating emotions can be to the writing process.

But, whether we’d like to admit it or not, writers are human beings. Emotions are just part of our biological makeup and they do, on occasion, get us seriously stuck.

We ALL get sad, frustrated, angry, or depressed sometimes.  It’s perfectly natural.

But having feelings doesn’t make us weak or incapable writers—it just makes us human writers.

6 Ways to Hack Into Your Emotions and Become Infinitely More Creative

If strong emotions are getting in the way of your writing, then I recommend the following seven methods for hacking into those emotions in order to become infinitely more creative:

1. Write Out The Emotion

Open a new document on your computer and write out what you’re feeling in this new document. Please, let it all out: the anger, the frustration, the worry—all of it. The more detailed and “melodramatic” the better.

Once you’ve had your rant, toss this document into the digital trashcan. (If you want even more of a catharsis, print this document out and then tear it up, crumble it up, throw it across the room, or even burn it if you want.)

For brief emotional “hiccups” this easy exercise should get you back to writing right away.

2. Use The Emotion

Sometimes the strong emotions you’re feeling aren’t getting in the way of your writing—they’re just what the doctor ordered.

For example: if you’re feeling particularly angry at the moment, search for a scene in your novel in which one of your characters gets angry. Then use YOUR anger to help arrive at the “truth” of your character’s anger.

Now, even if your character never gets angry in your book, you can still write a scene in which he does get angry. You may never end up using this scene, but it will help you get to know your character more intimately, helping you create a more 3-dimensional portrayal of a human being.

3. Draw Out The Emotion

If #1 or #2 doesn’t do the trick, then I recommend that you sketch out the emotion.

Once you’ve drawn out your emotion (as specifically as possible), try changing the sketch to reflect the ideal situation in which your emotion would be resolved.

What would have to happen to make you feel better right now?

For example: if the emotion that is holding you back is the feeling of being trapped, and you drew yourself in a prison, you might draw yourself finding the key to that prison—and then setting yourself free.

When you’ve redrawn your sketch to represent the ideal situation, I want you to label the symbols in your drawing.

For instance: in the example I’ve already given you, you would ask yourself: “What is my prison?” “What my key?” Then, you might label the prison as “loneliness.” Finally, you might label your key as “a new group of friends.”

I love this method because it takes your negative emotion and turns it into something positive: a compass that points you toward a clear solution and resolution for your emotion.

4. Dance Out The Emotion

“Is he serious? An impromptu interpretative dance to help me get my writing done? COME ON! That’s so silly and stupid!”

Honestly, I can’t think of anything more releasing and freeing than dancing out your emotion.

I’m serious. I’ve done it myself, and it works wonders.

Just lock yourself in your room, put on your favorite upbeat music, and then dance out all those nasty emotions. Really, no one has to know.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go rent yourself a copy of Billy Elliot.  There’s a great scene in that move where the main character dances out his anger towards his father. It’s one of the most moving scenes in movie history, but it’s also a great tutorial in how to deal with your emotions in a healthy manner.

(Note: If dancing is just not your thing, then try other types of physical activity: sports, exercise—anything that’s both fun and physically demanding can work just as well as dancing.)

5. Deal With The Emotion

If the emotion is just too overwhelming to attempt #1-4, then you may need to stop what you’re doing—because the writing will not get done no matter how hard you try.

What you may need to do is finally deal with your strong emotion.

How do you do that?

Here’s how:

(You can do the following alone, but it’s helpful to have a supportive friend, family member, or counselor next to you to give you support—especially if the emotions are particularly intense.)

Place yourself in a safe and supportive environment.

Once you’re in this safe place, sit down, relax and watch your emotions.  Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Buddhist monk, recommends that you watch your emotions as if they are leaves floating down a river. As each “leaf” passes by you, label each one: this is sadness, this is anger, this is frustration. Then watch and feel as each “leaf” (each emotion) floats right through you.

Try not to cling to the emotions during this process. Just let the emotions go right through you. Also, realize that the emotion is not you. You are just a vessel for the emotion and not a “storage tank” for the emotion.

You will feel uncomfortable, and the process may be painful and scary. You may have even have to scream into your pillow, cry in someone’s shoulder, or writhe in emotional pain. This is all natural.

But, as you go through this, remember that all of this will pass. Keep reminding yourself of this.

Being in emotional pain is not a permanent state. It is a temporary one.

Remember: the more you resist the emotion, the longer this process will last. The less you resist the emotion, the shorter this process will last, and the faster you can get back to writing.

6. Confront The Emotion

If you’ve tried everything on this list but your emotions are still getting in the way of your writing, you may need to seriously confront your emotions. The best way to do this is by seeking professional help.

Try looking for therapists or community counseling centers in your area. Or ask friends or family whom they recommend. Many therapists work on a sliding scale and can offer you a cost that you can manage depending on your income. (Counseling interns can offer you an even lower price, but the downside is that they are less experienced.)

Make sure to find a therapist who you’re comfortable with, and don’t feel bad for leaving a therapist who doesn’t feel “right” for you.

The ability for a great therapist to seriously unlock your creative potential is a very underrated tool for writers.

If your emotions are really getting in the way of your career, you owe it to yourself to seriously confront them as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.

Good Luck, Emotion Hackers!

It doesn’t serve us well if we dismiss the topic of emotions as silly, cheesy, or cliché—or criticize people who address this topic as “overly sentimental.”

No, I think it’s much better that we address our emotions so that we can finally get on with our writing, and get on with our lives, as soon as possible.

How do you hack your emotions in order to get more creative work done? Please share you thoughts with us in the comments below!

Ollin Morales is a fiction writer, blogger, freelancer, and ghostwriter. His blog, Courage 2 Create, chronicles his journey as he writes his first fiction novel. His blog offers writing advice as well as strategies to deal with life’s tough challenges. His blog was named one of The Top Ten Blogs for Writers by WriteToDone two years in a row (2011, 2012).

Do you want to fast forward your blogging journey? Join the insanely useful training for all stages of blogging, the A-List Blogger Club, founded by Leo Babauta and Mary Jaksch. Click on the link below to find out more.

A guest post by Logan Marshall of Free Life Project

The hot Indian sun bakes down as I stand on the riverbank, watching over a group of orphan boys who splash and play in front of me.

I’ve been here before with the boys. They love the water, even when it’s brown and shallow and so hot that hundreds of fish float dead on the surface.

But today is different.

Cold monsoon rains funneled by the Himalayas are rushing their way south past the Indian orphanage where I am staying. And while the boys splash and flop like campy Bollywood actors…I try to relax and enjoy the show. Though the water is deep in places and the current looks strong to me, no one looks worried. They’ve done this hundreds of times I reason. What’s the worst that could happen?

With the sounds of laughing and shouting in the air and the glare of the river in my eyes, I raise my head and gaze across the river. The dark green jungle on the far bank stretches as far as the eye can see. I’m told that elephants and leopards live in that forest…and as I stare into the canopy I slip into a daydream.

I want to see an elephant. A wild one. I hear they can be dangerous, even deadly. But I don’t care. I want to find one and see one. How awesome would it be to–

And then it happens.

“Logan!” a boy cries, “Amir! He’s drowning!” In an instant I am fully present. My eyes shoot across the water, desperately scanning for movement. Twenty meters off shore, a young boy struggles against the current, his arms flailing wildly above the surface.

Without thinking, I sprint to the bank and dive. Crashing beneath the surface I swim powerfully forward, my eyes fixed on Amir’s bobbing head. The current is even stronger than I imagined, but before I know it Amir is in front of me and I latch onto his body with my left arm. He’s flailing, needing air, fighting me. Pulling like the river…

Using all my remaining strength I kick to shore and collapse on the muddy bank…gazing up at the cloudless sky as my heart pounds in my ears.

You Are Your Greatest Asset

That story is 100% true by the way.

It was one of the scariest moments of my life.

For weeks afterwards I imagined what would’ve happened if I hadn’t been there. If I hadn’t reacted as I did. If I didn’t have the physical strength to fight against the current…

Now you’re probably wondering what this has to do with helping you craft masterful writing.

Well, I’ll tell you.

It’s a bit of a stretch I’ll admit, but I thought this would be an engrossing way to convey something CRITICALLY important. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the past few years.

And that’s this: You are your greatest asset.

Regardless of the situation you find yourself in…whether plunging into a raging river or sitting down to write…your ability to focus, think creatively and powerfully face challenges is what makes the difference.

From a writing perspective, your ability to think clearly is the deciding factor. You know that. Sometimes you easily fall into “flow” and can crank out 1000 words in half an hour. And other times it’s an agonizing struggle to write even one coherent sentence.

The difference?

Your current mental state. You.

With this in mind, it’s important to “train” yourself to continually perform at a high level. To establish a set of rituals that allow you to instantly snap into “flow” and create your best work. Even when you’re writing like a four year old with a piece of charcoal. Even when your mind is a spasmodic vortex of unintelligible muck.

In this post, I’m going to give you several rituals that I use everyday. Rituals that work for me.

Take them or leave them…but know this: When it comes to writing and life, you are your greatest asset. Not some shiny tactic, but YOU.

Writing is a creative endeavor. It’s the process of creating something from nothing. If you hope to write something worth sharing, you must train yourself to channel awesomeness on demand.

Here’s how.

How To Train Yourself For Top Performance

Do you find yourself struggling to create compelling content? Do you find yourself routinely slipping into a mental funk where it’s impossible to communicate what you want to say?

If you do, the following rituals will help you overcome this.

While I have a specific “pre-writing” ritual I complete every time I sit down to write (I’ll share that with you in a bit), I first want to cover a few daily habits that allow me to give writers block a swift kick in the ass.

Here they are:

1. Running

Personally, I’ve found that one of the best ways to clear my mind is to move my body. It works every time.

Often I’ll be sitting at my computer feeling like a lethargic sloth on NyQuill…staring at my blinking cursor as I struggle to spell the word “the.”

But instead of just sitting there cursing my inability to write, I’ll put on my Five Fingers and sprint out the door.

When I return my brain will be operating on a whole new level. It’s pretty remarkable. The endorphin rush that exercise creates is responsible for some amazing clarity.

If you hate exercising, my advice is to “reframe” it in your mind. Instead of exercising for the health benefits, exercise to get your best ideas. Use running as a tool to spark your creative ingenuity.

And as a side effect, you’ll also get the health benefits associated with regular movement.

2. Meditation

To quote Master Oogway (Kung Fu Panda anyone?),

“Your mind is like this water my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle…the answer becomes clear.”

Thank you, fictitious animated turtle.

If you are searching for the answer to a writing related problem, don’t just force yourself to “think harder.” In my experience, writers block typically strikes when you are in a state of mental agitation.

Yes, it could be said that writers block CREATES agitation, but the opposite is also true. It’s one big vicious cycle.

If you’ve been writing for any length of time, I’m sure you’ll attest to the fact that your best writing comes from a state of mental quietude. You don’t have to “think up” your best ideas…they just spill out onto the page.

With this in mind, one of the best ways to initiate “flow” is to quiet the mind. To remove the mental distractions that prevent you from accessing your creativity.

How?

One word: Meditation.

I only recently started meditating, but I’ve found that it works wonders for my writing. It’s almost as good as running.

Here’s a simple way to do it:

1. Sit comfortably in a quiet place.
2. Breath naturally. Don’t try to control your breathing.
3. Focus your attention. Direct your total attention on the tip of the nostrils. Be aware of the incoming and outgoing breath–on the sensation of air passing through the nostrils. Try to not let this focus waver. If it does, bring it back to your breath.
4. Let go. Meditation isn’t the practice of stopping thoughts but merely the practice of becoming aware of them. By removing resistance and letting go of trying to control them, they fade away naturally.

Your only job here is to watch your breath. At first, you may be faced with many thoughts and a seemingly untamable mind. But if you persist, if you simply direct your attention back to the breath every time it wavers, you can reduce the frequency and intensity of your mental chatter and begin to cultivate a calmer, more peaceful mind.

Try it. You’ll be blown away.

3. Eat clean, healthy foods

While most people understand the power that diet has to shape the body…few fully grasp the impact it has on our mental clarity.

But it’s huge. And it’s scientifically proven that a poor diet actually decreases brain function. Junk food, junk brain.

So please don’t go eat a Twinkie or a Pop Tart and then complain that you can’t concentrate. Take care of your brain. Allow it to function at the highest level by providing it with the nutrients it needs to do its job.

Make a salad, grab a handful of nuts, chop up some fruit, grill a piece of wild salmon…you get the point.

Eat right. Write better.

4. Super Hydrate

Few people know this, but the first symptom of dehydration is not thirst. It’s fatigue. And being tired drastically limits your creative capacity.

With this in mind, it is critical that you “super hydrate” or flush your body with enough clean water on a daily basis. More than you think. At least half your bodyweight in ounces.

When the water flows, the writing flows.

5. Get enough sleep

Finally, if you want to write at a high level it’s vital that you get enough sleep. Sleep is essential to our physical health and our mental wellbeing.

Studies have shown that over 70% of American’s are sleep deprived and this is wrecking havoc on their mental clarity, creative output and overall happiness.

Sleep deprivation leads to irritability, moodiness, weight gain, impaired memory and a whole slew of other health problems…all that directly influence your ability to think creatively.

Rest well. Write well.

I know that these strategies may seem like the same old hashed up advice you hear every day, but that’s not the point. The point is to get you to link writing ability to specific rituals that promote physical and mental wellbeing. Rituals that boost performance.

As Jonathan Fields puts it,

“Spend as much time working on yourself as you do working on business. Knowing that the single biggest limiting factor in business is not what you know but how well equipped you are to handle the psychological demands of growing an epic business and telling an extraordinary story.”

So true.

Instant Flow: Your Pre-Writing Routine

Okay, you’ve got the big stuff under control. Now let’s get specific.

If you don’t have a “pre-writing ritual” that you complete every time you sit down to write, I highly recommend you start one. Not only will it allow you to write at a higher level, but it will also boost energy and “condition” your mind to think creatively.

This is what I call instant flow. It’s extremely powerful.

My 60 minute pre-writing ritual looks something like this:

1. Run in the park for thirty minutes.
2. Guzzle a bottle of water.
3. Take a shower.
4. Meditate for 10 minutes.
5. Eat something healthy.
6. Start writing.

I do this every day. It’s automatic now.

This ritual sets me up to be super-ready to start writing and make things happen. It gets me in an energized, relaxed and highly focused state of mind. It allows creativity to just spill out onto the page.

If you are struggling to create consistently high level work, I recommend you adopt a specific, positive energy management ritual like mine.

You don’t have to copy mine exactly, but make sure you fill it with powerful activities. Things like…

1. Taking a shower.
2. Eating clean, healthy food.
3. Running.
4. Drinking water.
5. Looking at your “vision board.”
6. Laughing.
7. Journaling.
8. Practicing yoga.
9. READING great writing.
10. Talking to someone you love.
11. Reading inspirational quotes.

…you get the idea.

Make it personal.

Make it specific.

Tap into instant flow.

Final Thoughts

In the end you have one job: get your ass into the seat and write.

Inspiration doesn’t strike all the time so you want to be sitting with your pen in hand when it does. While creativity is elusive, it can be enhanced, giving you the absolute BEST chance for clear thinking and epic content.

It might be a metaphorical stretch, but great ideas are like Amir thrashing in the brown water of an Indian river, seconds away from disappearing into the current. You may be sitting in position, but are you mentally clear and ready to act? Are you daydreaming about elephants or are you fully focused on the task at hand?

Prepare physically, mentally and spiritually for the work before you. Condition your mind to perform at the highest level…

Then dive in.

Logan Marshall is on a mission to help aspiring writers change the world with their message. If you’re one of them, check out the cinematic trailer to his upcoming blog.

Join the A-List Blogger Club, the insanely useful training for all stages of blogging. Click below to find out more.

A Guest post by Ollin Morales of Courage 2 Create

What if I told you that the biggest threat to your writing is not your lack of passion, your lack of creativity, or your lack of skill?

What if I told you that the biggest threat to your writing is… your mind?

That’s right. Your mind is the biggest obstacle standing between you and all the work you are trying to accomplish.

Our mind is often the one that needs the most convincing that our writing is worthwhile. This is because our mind is hard-wired to protect us from any possible danger.  You see, in order to protect us, our mind initially perceives anything it encounters as a threat—including your writing.

If this sounds strange, and kind of primitive, as if your mind is trying to protect you from a tiger hiding behind a tree in a jungle—then you’re absolutely right.

Your mind is still pretty primordial. So, your job as a writer is to hack into this primordial, hunter-gatherer mind, and update its software so that your mind works for you.

Here are just 4 ways to hack your mind so that you can become infinitely more creative:

1. Bypass Your Mind

Think of your mind as the bouncer at the popular new club in town. Think of “the club” as the writing that you need to get “into.”

The bouncer, your mind, is not going to let you in to the club because first it needs to check to see if you’re on the VIP list. He needs to pat you down. He needs to ask you pointed questions, see who you’re with, etc.

In the meantime, the bouncer is delaying you from entering the club.  In the end, he may even decide to not let you in the club for some arbitrary reason.

But remember: you’re not just anybody. You own this place. You don’t need to go through any stinkin’ bouncer. Please. You’re like Robert De Niro in the movie Casino:  you’re the boss and you can just walk right in the place if you want to.

So, the next time you visit “the club” (your writing) just walk right past the bouncer and straight through the door.  If the bouncer (your mind) tries to stop you, just give ‘em an ol’ De Niro stare down and say:

“Hey, you talking to me? You talking to me? There’s nobody else here so you must be talking to me.”

The bouncer will have no choice but to back down from intimidation.

What I am trying to say, in so many words, is that the more you let your mind think about writing, the more you will stop yourself from actually writing.

So stop thinking about when to write, how to write, why to write, where to write, who to write for, what to write for—and just write. Just write.

Get rid of all the thinking. Wipe your mind clean. Take a deep breath, and just go for it.

2.  Trick Your Mind

For instance:

Say you’re worried about paying your bills, but you have to write a freelance article in order to pay those bills. But worrying about paying your bills is stopping you from writing that article you need to write in order to pay those bills. (What a vicious cycle, isn’t it?)

What you need to do, then, is promise your mind that you will continue to worry about paying your bills AFTER you write a brief outline of that freelance article you’re working on.

Then, start that outline. Usually, by the time you start the outline, you’ll be so immersed in your work that, before you know it, you’ll be finished with the project, and you’ll have forgotten all about how you promised your mind that you would get back to worrying.

3. Lower Your Mind’s Expectations

If you think your writing has to please millions of people, in two seconds flat, then your expectations are way too high for your own writing.

You see, your mind doesn’t like to gamble. It absolutely HATES taking risks. It’s constantly looking for the safe and secure route out of a tough situation.

If your mind sees that you’re making a big bet, then, it will immediately advise you against it—it may even try to thwart you from accomplishing the monumental task you’ve set up for yourself.

So, don’t make that big bet. Make a small one, instead.

I’ve noticed the mind doesn’t take notice of small bets. It usually lets small bets slide right underneath its nose.

Why?

Because your mind knows that if you win big after placing a small bet, than it’s great. But if you lose after placing a small bet, it’s not so bad either.

So instead of having big expectations for your writing, lower your expectations

dramatically.

Set out to make the worst blog post, freelance article, or novel you have ever written.

Then, see how easy the writing gets done.

4. Recalibrate Your Mind

Let’s say you’re a blogger and you want to increase your blog subscriber number.

Your mind makes an assessment of this goal and starts to tell you that for every guest post you write, it should have a return of—let’s say—50 subscribers for it to be worth your while.

If you don’t receive that 50-subscriber return for every blog post you write, then your mind promises to make it hard for you to write anymore blog posts—because it sees that it’s not in your direct benefit to keep writing those blog posts.

For your mind, writing a guest post is only worth it if you get 50 subscribers for every guest post written. Otherwise, your mind sees the effort as too risky, or waste of time.

So, let’s say you write five guest posts, and the first four of those guest posts earn you a total of 0 new subscribers. This is where your mind begins to tell you to give up because it seems clear that each guest post is only worth 0 subscribers—not 50.

But you ignore your mind and don’t give up.  Because you don’t give up, you find that the fifth guest post finally earns you a total of 50 new blog subscribers.

It turns out that your mind was wrong all along.

How could your mind have been so wrong?

Well, it was wrong because it was seeing the whole situation wrong, that’s why.

If after every 5 guest posts you receive a total amount of 50 new subscribers, then that means that each guest post was, in fact, worth 10 subscribers—not 0. You just weren’t able to see the return on your investment until after you wrote a total of 5 guest posts.

Basically, the return on your initial investment does not appear until much much later. This is something your mind has trouble understanding, and it’s your job to help your mind understand it.

Good Luck, Mind Hackers!

Remember that the biggest obstacle to becoming a more productive writer is your mind. So, don’t let your mind run amok without proper parental supervision: hack into your mind so that your mind works for you.

How do you hack your mind in order to get more creative work done? Please share you thoughts with us in the comments below!

Ollin Morales is a writer. His blog, Courage 2 Create, chronicles his journey as he writes his first novel. His blog offers writing advice as well as strategies to deal with life’s tough challenges. His blog was named one of The Top Ten Blogs for Writers by WriteToDone two years in a row (2011, 2012).