Although writing is a highly creative pursuit, I find that when I write all the time without any interaction to the world and my hobbies, I simply dry up. When this happens, the last thing I want to do is write more. Some people call this “writer’s block”. Me? I see it as a sign that i need to get away from my computer and do something else. That is how I increase my creativity. By living!
Keep a small notebook with you. Yes, I go out and live my life. I go food shopping which is always a creative pursuit. As a food writer and someone who loves cooking, food shopping can give me a ton of ideas without even trying. So no matter what I do – whether it’s having a few drinks on the town, at the movies, food shopping, etc – I ALWAYS have a notebook and pen with me. You just never know.
Go outside of your comfort zone. Do you always go to the same restaurant when you and your husband go out? I say – why not try something different? There are so many things in our lives that have become routione that shouldn’t. Vary your route home from the store. Go to a different bar or restaurant. Instead of seeing a movie, go to a live play. Going outside of our comfort zones is something that can be very inspiring.
Learn a new language. I don’t know about you, but I love learning about other cultures. Right now I’ve been researching French gastronomy and food culture. So, I made the decision today to learn French. I found a wonderful tutorial online and right after I finished with today’s lesson, I felt more creative and inspired to do some writing in English.
Take up a hobby. Hobbies can provide excellent fodder for writers. I love to cook, for example, so food writing is a natural extension of that. Other things I enjoy are crochet, tae kwon do, and herbal medicine. All of these “hobbies” can be turned into projects for my writing. I even wrote a flash fiction piece once that centered around herbal medicine.
I love writing exercises to help get my mind into “writing” mode. But I don’t look at them as effective for getting rid of writer’s block. For that, I need to tear myself away from the computer and do something completely different. In fact, I am not sure the mythical “block” actually exists for me. Instead, it is a warning that my brain is overloaded with writing tasks and wants to do something else. I listen and my writing is richer because of it.
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