We all want the write stuff. The ability to craft wonderful words that inspire, motivate and delight. Words that simply flow freely and naturally from our imagination to the page. Deep stuff. Powerful stuff. Magical stuff. Like a kind of creative Zen state in literary action leading to brilliant blogs, awesome articles or best selling books that make their mark. With us being the veritable master of creating cracking content with effortless ease. Of having a penchant with the pen.
Wouldn’t that be great?
But right know that may seem somewhat far fetched. You’ve come to a halt. Nothing new to say it seems. The writing on the wall for your writing career.
Busy daily lives full of chaotic minds jamming any potential creative spark. Mundane Mondays and weary weekends hardly making you a source of stimulating sentences. You are tired and dispirited. You can’t switch on because you can’t switch off.
Maybe this is you….?
- You get writers block on a regular basis
- New ideas are increasingly hard to find
- Your are having less drive and energy with your writing
- You are tempted to do other things
- Everyone else’s writing seems better than yours
Don’t fret, it’s a common condition; authors ailment, I call it. Even the great and good have succumbed to it. Everyone loses track. Has energy dips, dry spells and inspirational indifference. I often wonder what the original names were that Shakespeare gave to his plays when he was under its spell. High Season Nights Asleep or A Big Fuss About Not Much At All before he got the titles just right.
It’s part of being the finished article to create the finished article.
But don’t put down your pen just yet. Don’t still that quill. You can get your manuscripting mojo back like never before. And connect to a fertile supply of inventive ideas that turns your writing from horrific to prolific.
The yen for zen can start again and here’s how.
Outside Influence
To fan the flames inside you need to get outside. Leave your four walls and go where there are no walls to artistic flair. The open air. Or people watching as it is popularly called. Take a space and simply observe. See people go by. The rich tapestry of life.
Wait and watch. Don’t take notes initially. Just drink in the scene in front of you from the different people who pass by to their fashions or conversations, even their movements. See what stirs in your imagination. Soon you will notice little nuances. Maybe the sun will come out and change what’s in front of you even more. Perhaps an old couple will totter by holding hands which could trigger memories of your younger love life or the joys of stable marriage or simply the power of holding hands. Let it transport you.
There is a rich oasis outside and in so many locations. Airports. Town centres. Parks and seasides. Even your own local area backyard if you take a look. The world awaits with a world of possibilities. Get outside.
Get Moving
When people are stuck they aren’t moving. And that includes the mind. You are stuck because your head is stuck too. Thinking the same things and doing the same things. Repeatedly. You need a different kind of movement. A complete system type of one.
Get moving by doing something active that activates adrenaline, boosts endorphin production and gets blood flowing. This ending of stagnation within the body will also touch the mind connected to it. Now it doesn’t have to be too heavy. An hour or so gardening will suffice. A bicycle ride will do. Or better still gentle exercise like swimming. Even Tai Chi works as it balances mind and body. Something that gets the heart working and a new flow started. One that will lead to a feel good factor which stimulates brain activity. That pumps and feeds a fresher outlook into your pysche and your pen.
Take Laughter Medicine
When writing begins to falter the grumps can take over. A serious air starts to hang around. You get narky, touchy or frustrated which, in turn, forms a vicious circle of gloomy expectation. Deflation soon becomes depression as dark moods descend. It all seems a waste of time.
Do the opposite. Seek out an injection of humour and laughter. Spend time with people you find funny or who tell funny stories as there could be great material there. Gather friends and family together for silly nights playing games. Or watch comedy shows and films that help you laugh your troubles aside. This awakens a jovial atmosphere which is far easier to work in, live in and discover inspiration in. It’s a real health giving medicine too!
Blogger’s Bonus
Finally, if you are a blogger, here’s a bonus tip for top notch inventiveness.
Check out other blogs especially those in your niche or similiar sector. Not specifically just to read some excellent posts by other bloggers, but to utilise the comments section. Successful blogs get oodles of comments, normally by other bloggers keen on their subject matter. Being writers themselves they often leave a micro post with cracking insight as a comment.
Now, if one post has 30 comments and there are 50 posts on that blog, just imagine what great thoughts could be generated from reading all of them? If that’s your genre they will be talking your language and giving you free input. Minimum time investement, maximum impact!
Inspiration is everywhere but we need to be in a state to witness and record it. Not a right state but a write state. A calmer and more carefree one. Practice these and you will soon unlock a more relaxed yet potent awareness in which your pen becomes the zen and you the master of the written word.
