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Spring Cleaning for the Mind

March 29, 2013 by Rosemary 1 Comment

By Tiffany Matthews

There will come a time when you find yourself unable to write, not just for hours at end, but days and weeks. The worst is when those weeks stretch into months. By then, the screen’s cursor constant blinking would become a taunting reminder that you have yet to type words, not even one word. If you’re suffering from a serious case of writer’s block, simple tips to beat blank page syndrome will no longer suffice. Badly burned out and drained of every last drop of creative juice? It’s time to call in the big guns.

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

When a writer friend suddenly announced on Facebook that she was going to unplug and go away for awhile, I was concerned. I wondered what she could possibly be going through. I had my answer when she resurfaced online three long months later. Apparently, she had been dutifully following a 12-week program based on Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. Judging from her relaxed and happier mood, the long break has been helpful in restoring her creativity as well as productivity. The program also helped her get over her major case of writer’s block and gave her more insight on the artistic process.

Some people will not like everything about The Artist’s Way. The long period required to complete the program will not appeal to active writers–who are trying to survive daily life and–who can’t afford to break off from work just for the sake of creativity. There are a couple of things in this book, however, that they can can still do–morning pages and artist dates.

Morning Pages

Every day for the next 12 weeks, you have to pen three handwritten pages, all done first thing in the morning during a stream of consciousness, which means you can’t look back at the previous pages you have written. If you’re not a morning person, you might think twice about waking up early for this exercise. You’ll probably wonder how you can write when you’re still drowsy. Once you get started, however, you’ll be surprised to discover clarity and how easily you can fill up 3 pages. When you write, don’t think, just let the words flow. Ramble if you must. When you read the sheets, you’ll find out that your true thoughts–some repressed–and find a way to resolve some of the issues that have been in your mind for a long time. This practice of morning pages also helps transform writing into more of a daily habit and makes the words flow easier.

Artist Dates

“Artist Dates are assigned play.” Once a week, you must embark on an expedition alone in order to explore what is of interest to you. It doesn’t have to be overly artistic, but it should fire up your imagination. An artist date should be fun and whimsical, something that encourages play. Art is all about the play of ideas, so open yourself to fun things that you want to try. When we experience something new or something that we enjoy, it helps fuel our creativity and build up another reservoir of inspiration that we can draw from. Artist dates replenish our creative juices, adding new ideas and images that bring us closer to our inner artist and craft new masterpieces.

General Cleaning

Sometimes people dread spring, not because they are not looking forward to warmer weather but because it’s time for spring cleaning. Cleaning your house from top to bottom until you drop can be therapeutic for writers and artists, not to mention productive. Just remember to invest in a good vacuum cleaner. The no-handles type can help you get rid of every speck of dust, even in those hidden corners under beds and furniture that you can’t reach. Who knows, you just might get some great ideas while you’re cleaning. Having a sparkly clean house also feels very rewarding especially after all the hard work you’ve put in. The actual spring cleaning helps relax your mental state and makes you feel refreshed. The more relaxed you are, the more your ideas will flow so you can now get back to work.

Spring cleaning isn’t just for the house. Sometimes, we need to apply it to ourselves so we can recharge and welcome new changes that will help us grow as writers and artists.

Author’s Bio: Based in San Diego, California, Tiffany Matthews writes about travel, fashion and anything under sun at wordbaristas.com. You can find her on Twitter as
@TiffyCat87.

Filed Under: Blog Review, Content, Inside-Out Thinking, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, creativity, writer's_block, Writing

Writing YEAH! 10 WHOLE NEW Reasons to Get Jazzed About Writing

September 6, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

Writing in Times of Cabin Fever

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Artists, designers, painters, woodworkers, crafters . . . all of us who put our hands in our heads . . .

First we learn the habits and tools of what we do.
Then we take on the values they represent.

The real tools of writing are thoughts and ideas.
The real values are the relationships we make with them.
–ME Strauss

We call the time cabin fever. It’s the end of Chicago winter — no sun, not much sunshine in people. Everyone’s tired of being cooped up. One dismal Sunday last March, I wrote Writing–Ugh! 10 Reasons to Get Jazzed about Writing.

Jazz helps when you’ve got cabin fever.

Then it was over. The sun finally came, and we wrote. We wrote through spring tulips, young love, and baseball season. We wrote through summer vacations, the World Cup, and fireworks. We got into some serious writing.

Like everyone who’s been busy writing, I didn’t stop to notice much. Until today, now I’m jazzed all over again!

YEAH! Now I’ve got . . .

10 WHOLE NEW Reasons to Get Jazzed about Writing

The original 10 reason still hold fast. Writing is a phenomenal tool. What I’ve discovered are new reasons are about how writing has made a difference in our lives.

Here’s what I see and why I’m jazzed all over again.

    1. Writing has given us a place we can meet. We talk about writing — in public now. Think back a few months, a few years, talking about writing was something that got left behind in school and in writers’ groups, or it was the private venue of folks who worked in intellectual property. Now it’s become the conversation of regular people.

    2. Writing has led us to read more. In order to write, we read. Many of us read more than we ever did before. We read to find out what folks write about. We read to find ideas. We read to find out our own thoughts. We read more than we would if we didn’t write.

    3. Writing leads us to read like writers. “If it’s in print, it must be true.” Remember that? Writing takes the shine off the coin and the glamour off the print. We’re not so quick to be taken in by words that “look” good. We’re separating fact from opinion more quickly and more accurately, and letting folks know when they get mixed up about them.

    4. Writing has brought more of us to care about how we write. Good enough isn’t the standard any more. What once was a “have to” has become a “want to.” We’re learning to write for ourselves and our readers, not for our job roles and our teachers’ approval.

    5. Wrting is making us better communicators. People talk back and push ideas forward. We’re having conversations we never would have had were we not writing. Each communication offers a secret something new that adds to what we already know about writing and people.

    6. Writing builds confidence and expertise. Every piece we write is just that much better than the last — over time it shows. Go back and look. Have you stopped to see how much better your writing is since you started? . . . how much more you know? Other folks have. That’s why they read what you write.

    7. Writing allows us to think more deeply — a crucial skill. People don’t spend time typing “small talk.” Only weather folks type about the weather, and when they do, they’re not having casual conversation. We organize our thoughts before we publish them. We consider the world differently in search of ideas and points of view to write about. We think about the folks who will read what we write. We no longer think on the surface of ideas. We’re learning to push past sound-bytes and infosnacks, so that readers have something to respond to.

    8. Writing can make us better listeners and better people. We’re finding out people say the same things in different ways. Writing is the best way to learn that different doesn’t mean wrong, and letting go is the first step in learning. Sometimes folks send our message back in entirely new ways — they hear something valuable, but not what we said. We learn to listen to them and to ourselves as well.

    9. Writing is contagious, builds relationships, and changes lives. Writing great content still means search engine ranking and link popularity. It also means people — real human beings. People come who take an interest in the writer. Writing begets writing. Conversations lead to conversations. Relationships grow between like minds, and people meet. How many folks have you written to in the last week? How many of those people will you meet in your life? How many folks have you met that you trust?

    10. Writing can break down walls and build communities. Corporations are finding that customers write. Big companies are taking down their brick walls to listen and starting to write back to us. Walls are falling down all over the Internet. Communities are replacing them. There were 456 comments from people across the world who were talking to each other about their favorite neighborhood. Enough said.

You might find other ways on the Internet to communicate — podcasting, video — but they’re not the same.

Writing is interactive, individual and social, makes a person think first and filter out thoughts that don’t matter. What I realized today is the greatest way that writing is changing us.

We’re becoming literate people who know more about ourselves, the world, and each other.

Now . . . . I’m even more jazzed about writing than I was last March.

Can you blame me?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Filed Under: Blog Basics, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, blog_promotion, business, personal-branding, power_writing_for_everyone, promotion, survival_kit, writer's_block

Writing– The 2 PowerQuestions

May 17, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

The Second Question

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When I start with that blank page, whether I think about it or I stare into space, two questions are waiting in white letters on the white space. I have to make myself see them and answer them before I will ever be able to write. The questions are basic and always the same.

What will your topic be?

and

What do you want to say about it?

If I can answer those two questions, the piece pretty much writes itself.

It really is as simple as that.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
How To Beat Writer’s Block
Questions about Burnout and Writer’s Block
Why Dave Barry and Liz Don’t Get Writer’s Block
The Power Writing Series on the SUCCESSFUL SERIES PAGE

Filed Under: Strategy/Analysis, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, power_writing, questions, transitions, writer's_block, writing_series

Don’t Fear the Blank Screen — Be a Miner

May 6, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

Staring at a Blank Screen

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Staring at a blank screen does nothing for me. In fact, I recommend against it. In my way of thinking, blank things encourage more blank things. When I want my head filled with information and ideas, not with blank, emptiness I do this. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Content, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, blog_promotion, finding_ideas, mining_your_archives, personal-branding, power_writing, quality_content, stronger_voice, writer's_block

A Sample 6-Minute Transition

April 25, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

A Sample Transition–Try It

A short transition, like the one I wrote about this morning, is not only a great way to prepare for writing, it’s a great way to unwind at the end of the day.

So with that in mind, I saved this sample transition-retreat for now. Put some kick back music in your headphones and enjoy this photo (or choose one of your own). If you want a written reflection, click the image and you can use the one I wrote for it.

Heart on the Water

Heart upon the Water photo from stock exchange

Taking care of you is also a great way to take care of those around you.

Brand you and me.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
6-Minute Transition to Writing
Editing: Just Some of My Very Different Thoughts
Creative Wonder 101 as Promotion and Problem Solving
Eye-Deas 2: Test Ideas with Photo Searches

Filed Under: Motivation, Productivity, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: 6-Minute_Transition_to_Writing, bc, power_writing, transitions, writer's_block

6-Minute Transition to Writing

April 25, 2006 by Liz Leave a Comment

I’m No Good at Transitions

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Start a day in a meeting; then it’s off to start writing. Some people can immediately be working. That won’t be me that you’re seeing. I’m not one of those people. I’m no good at transitions.

Tim Allen best expressed this feeling. He said smething like,

I hate getting into the shower, and I hate getting out.

That’s me.

The problem is I leave a meeting, chirping like a box of birds. It’s a personal idiosyncrasy–once my extrovert gets talking and interacting, I have trouble finding my thinking and writing introvert. As with most things me, the only solution I’ve found — giving my brain what it needs — I’m good at that. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Motivation, Productivity, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: 6-Minute_Transition_to_Writing, bc, power_writing, transitions, writer's_block

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