Writers block beginning to kick in? Integrate a couple of there habits to get the juices flowing again.
There are times in life where, well you know life itself starts to take over. Emotions, stress, and anxiety run high. One day we can be creating the next Harry Potter, Van Gough Phenomenon, and the next we're drowning in work tasks, family commitments, friend dramas, and our whole right side of our brain has seemed to disappear into the abyss. Somewhere amongst the half-finished stories and wondrous ideas that didn't quite get birthed through our creative canal, only to be found months sometimes years later when the motivation is gone.
Creativity can be a random spike of energy, a simple thought plucked from thin air, a great idea whilst on a run, a burst of inspiration around your friend, a thought evoked from a quote. It ignites a spark in your heart, it runs an electric current through your veins and brings an instant smile to your face. Some creatives may liken it to one of the best feelings in the world. An idea, that's now yours to bring to life.
This feeling, this moment does not need to be random, your marvellous mind works just like a muscle and it can also be strengthened like a muscle and if you want to embark on a creative life. To strengthen it, flex it, and stretch it is a must. Work on it daily. Here are my top nine habits, that I like to incorporate into every day, to fuel the right side of my brain and keep the creative fire burning.
1. Exercise
Endorphins, dopamine, serotonin. Need I say more? Momentum is built from movement. So get your body moving, create those happy hormones, and with consistency you’ll be surprised what a great exercise routine can do for energy, your mind, body, and the creative magic you.
If you’re already an avid exerciser. Mix up your current routine, get outside, change your playlist, breathe in the fresh air, try a new class or run down a new track. Anything that makes you sweat from a new perspective.
2. Eat well
Your gut really is your second brain and it’s responsible for (speaking like a true nutritionist here) your energy and creativity! Your gut microbiome is responsible for creating dopamine, serotonin, regulating hormones, and assisting with eliminating toxins and good digestion, all of which have a large effect on your energy, mood, and brain. If you want good clean thoughts, eat good clean food.
How you fuel is how you will feel. And how you feel is how you show up in the world and the capacity you have to give back and create, so make good nutrition a priority.
3. Dream - asleep and wide awake
Let yourself dream wide awake, always. To be able to daydream, envision in our conscious mind is a beautiful thing. A simple thought is the first step to creativity. When going for a walk, sitting on public transport, at an airport, waiting for your coffee. How many moments a day, do you have a couple of moments, where instead of looking around allowing yourself to take at the moment, to let your mind wander. You use it as a moment to bury your head deep into your phone. Take note of this tomorrow, I dare you, leave your technology in your bag, and let your mind wander to wherever it wants to go.
4. Play
An underrated, and underused important part of all life is play? When your creative endeavours become your job or money maker, what is it that you do just for yourself? What did you love doing as a kid that you’ve forgotten about as an adult? What makes you laugh, smile, and infuse your heart with more joy? What do you do just because you love it? For me, it’s exploring, adventures, road trips, seeing new places, trying new foods, getting out into nature, dancing, swimming. What’s on your list? And when are you scheduling more time in your life to play?
5. Get uncomfortable
If you’re suffering from writer's block, stuck in the day to day and can’t seem to tune into that creative surge. Rather than sitting down and forcing it, take some time out to create it. When was the last time you did something that made you uncomfortable? Something that doesn’t have to be grand or cost lots of money. It could be as simple as taking yourself out for breakfast, walking a different route home, trying new food, new recipe. What's something new you can do today that takes you out of your usual routine and comfort zone?
6. Get involved
Go to the class, event, speak to the people, listen to podcasts, read the books, pat the alpaca, go and do the thing that you keep saying you really want to do but haven’t done yet? It's time to do it.
7. Listen to the greats
Who inspires you? Who can read from, listen to where it feels as though. As a writer, words are my biggest inspiration, if I'm in a slump, it's time to lace up my shoes, go for a walk, get my body moving, breathe in the fresh air and listen to a great podcast or audiobook. One simple sentence might just spark exactly what you needed.
8. Meditate
Meditation has been scientifically proven to assist in improving creativity. When your brain is in a meditative state. This is because with practice our logical brain learns to quieten and our subconscious mind takes over. If you're new to meditation, I recommend starting your practice by following a simple guided meditation. My favourite's can be found on the Calm app or Gaia.
9. Journal
Journaling has been shown to activate the same pathways of the brain as meditation. In Julia Cameron’s the artist way, one of her tips in curing a creative lul is completing ‘morning pages.’ These are three pages of free writing journaling about.. well, anything. The idea is to get out everything that comes to the four front of your mind and let it flow out onto the page, it’s not grand writing, and it doesn’t even need to make sense. It’s about letting go of all the chatter and thoughts at the start of your day, leaving them on the page, and waking away so that you can flow through the rest of the day with more clarity and creativity.
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