10 Things to Do Right Now to Flex Your Creative Muscle
As writers, the most important tool in our tool belt is our creativity. As such, we need our creative muscle to be in peak performance mode in order to come up with new story ideas, to develop unique and original characters, and even to come up with creative ways to make a living while we chase our literary dreams.
Don’t Call it Writer’s Block
I’m not a big believer in the concept of writer’s block, but I do believe our creativity muscle can be weak and fall out of shape if we don’t exercise it regularly. Just like any other muscle. The thing is, most people thing creativity is a static attribute that we’re born with, rather than a muscle that requires continuous training. Just like a marathon runner jogs every day, creative writers must do creative tasks every day. Or almost every day. And contrary to what you might think, writing isn’t the only way, or even the best way, to exercise your creative muscle.
10 Ways to Flex Your Creative Muscle
Here are 10 activities you can do to exercise your creativity muscle. These activities are not specifically writing related, but I guarantee they will all improve your writing.
Take a Walk - Leave the phone and music at home. Walk in nature or through the city. The point is to turn off the distractions and turn on all of your senses as you walk, paying close attention to all of the sights, sounds and smells on your journey. What is the smell coming out of the sewer? What does the noise of a motorcycle sound like? What colors are on the wings of a butterfly? When you return to your writing, you will have collected dozens of new ways to bring color and texture to your words.
Read Poetry: Pick a poet that you like or that you’ve been interested in reading. Try a famous poet from history or a contemporary poet. Langston Hughes or Tracy K. Smith. It doesn’t matter. Just read some of their work. Read it aloud. Hear how it sounds. Notice how the words feel sliding off your tongue. Note the rhythm, catch the beat.
Write a Poem: You don’t have to be a poet to write a poem. A poem can be three lines. It don’t have to rhyme, but it can. Free your mind. Play with your words. Release any fears, and just give yourself permission to write a poem. My only rule, is you must write your poem by hand, not on the computer. Writing poetry should be a fully sensual experience.
Paint a Picture. Go to your nearest Target, drug store, or art supply shop and buy yourself a set of paints, a brush and a canvas. (Yes, a canvas, not just a sheet of paper.)Then go home and paint. Try a still life of a bowl of fruit. Sit in front of the mirror and do a self-portrait. Make an abstract painting of random colors and shapes. Pretend you’re Basquiat and make something that looks like graffiti. It doesn’t matter. The goal is to cover your canvas with colors and a vision from your imagination. And by all means, do not judge the finished product, judge the experience you had while creating.
Bake and Decorate a Cake. The cake doesn’t have to be from scratch. Neither does the frosting, but extra points if they are. The point is to create something decadent and delicious that is also beautiful to behold. (Use those senses.) Use edible flowers, rainbow sprinkles, or juicy red strawberries dipped in chocolate to make your cake a true work of art. Then enjoy every minute of devouring it and sharing it with others.
Take Piano Lessons. Even if you’ve never taken piano lessons before, it’s not too late to learn. Having the ability to make music with your hands is one of the greatest creative gifts you could ever give yourself.
Collect Rocks. If you’re lucky enough to live near a body of water, go on a mission to find 10 of the most beautiful rocks or shells that you can. Then bring them home, wash them off, and arrange them somewhere where you can see them on a daily basis.
Listen to Classical Music. Just sit somewhere and listen to classical music. That’s it. Don’t do laundry. Don’t cook dinner. Just sit and listen to the symphony of sound. Try to isolate the different instruments. Imagine the maestro who created the music from just an idea in his head. Appreciate the intricacies of the sounds seeping into your ears.
Make a pot of Creativity Soup. Get inspired by the Stone Soup fable and start throwing delicious things into a pot and see what you come up with. Chop crunchy vegetables, throw in fragrant spices. Add a piece of meat for flavor. Drizzle in coconut milk or lemon juice as a final touch. Serve in pretty bowls with a hunk of bread and savor your creativity soup. (Have a piece of the cake you made for dessert.)
Knit, Crochet, or Needlepoint. First things first. Go to the yarn store and pick out some delicious yarn in colors and textures that ignite your soul. Enjoy the process of selecting the yarn and imagining what you will make from it, even if you are a novice knitter. Buy the yarn and go home and start crafting. The repetition and mindless work will do wonders for your creative muscle. And if you are good enough to actually finish a scarf, a sweater, or a pair of leg warmers, then that’s a bonus for you and your creativity.
Make Creativity Part of Your Writer’s Routine
You don’t have to do everything on this list, but you should be aiming to flex your creativity muscles at least two or three times a week, along with your writing. Exercising your creativity should be a regular part of your writer’s life. You can also do some of these creativity exercises if you’re struggling with writer’s block or you’re stuck on a tricky part of your work in progress. Take that walk, play the piano, make some soup. And then see if you don’t come up with a creative solution to your writing problems. Good luck and keep creating.