T=Time. Allow yourself time to think
photo credit: cmaccubbin
We all spend so much time running around, getting things done, moving from one task to another, one writing deadline to the next, and often do not take the time to stop, relax, recharge and rethink.
Unfortunately, our minds actually need time to process ideas, and this happens best when we take time out. If you want your creative juices to start flowing, take some time out to relax.
Have you ever had a problem troubling your mind, preventing you sleeping?
Your mind just seems to go around in circles, and no answer comes to mind. You can toss and turn all night but nothing changes and your mind just keeps churning with the same fragments of thoughts. If you finally drop off to sleep, you are more likely to come up with the answer when you wake up then you are trying to resolve the problem before you go to sleep.
Your mind actually works when you sleep, hence dreams, and often you find the answers when the conscious mind relaxes, allowing you to see the answer that was there all along.
The same thing happens when you want to write creatively. Work can be hard sometimes, especially when you have many deadlines to meet. However, rushing from one project to another will not help your writing to be clear, creative, or appealing.
You actually need some time out to process your thoughts and allow your mind to become creative again in between major writing projects.
When you take some time out and relax, your mind has a chance to recover from the rushing and has the opportunity to process new ideas that lead to creativity.
Often writers will find that when they return to the writing after a break, the words flow quicker and it is easier to write. That is because even when we relax, our minds don’t stop working. We use the relaxation phase to ponder the deep questions and tap into the creative side of our brains. Giving yourself some time out will help your writing.
It is also important to allow some time for the thoughts and ideas to develop.
This is why many writers will have a folder for undeveloped ideas. When you come back to an idea that has been in the back of your mind for several months, you will often feel inspired and be able to write about it straight away. This is because your unconscious mind has had time to take out the idea, ponder it, and shelve it again a few times.
This is why it is a good idea to have a couple of days between first reading the client’s request and sitting down and writing for it. Your mind will actually cogitate on the request before you write and your writing will be clearer, and faster because of the time you have given to thinking about it first.
If you are struggling for inspiration, and deadlines allow, shelve the writing project for a little while. If you can spend some time relaxing, or allowing your creativity to start flowing by doing something fun like free writing, your writing will be better for it.
Going for a walk can be great for creative writing, as it gives your mind time to ponder the project and start forming the words before you put pen to paper (or in these technological days – hand to keyboard!).
Creative writing takes time. Allow yourself time to be able to write creatively and your writing will be much better.
