3 Ways I’m Using Non-creative Tools to Sustain My Creativity

And how they might work for you too.

I’m a writer, a novelist and a born-again creative. That’s to say, I came back to creativity late in life, having largely abandoned it in my youth in pursuit of a traditional education and employment path, then becoming a parent and getting wrapped up in life with all its rhythms and dramas.

I found when I was sitting down to write in my new creative career, that rather than being filled with genius ideas for an intriguing plotline, my head was awash with what I needed to buy at the grocery store, had I remembered to sign the exam entry form for my daughter, should I book a car service..?

I couldn’t seem to separate the mechanics of life from the time I’d carved out to be creative because, in effect, it was actually the first time I was giving myself ‘time-out’ of the flow of real life and the brain took quick advantage to remind me of things that were important. But that constant changing of focus, in turn, reduced the actual creative time I had to concentrate on writing. ‘Task-switching’ has been shown to have a notoriously high cost on our efficiency. And whilst I’d love to be able to dedicate more time to writing, currently, that’s not possible. So I needed to be smarter about my boundaries to make the time that I do have for my writing more effective.

The magic is in the mess — Brene Brown

There is magic in the mess, but it’s not always easy to find it. Many of us face the same challenges — to be creative within designated timeslots whilst dealing with multiple everyday demands and responsibilities. I researched ways to simplify and streamline, looked at tools to help me sustain and boost my precious creative time. It feels counter-intuitive to some degree, to put structure around creativity, but the difference these simple process changes and practices have made has been noticeable. My creative time is much more impactful and life overall less stressful. I’ve started to find my magic.

So here’s what I’ve done…

№1 — I’ve set up a simple ‘personal kanban’ system

Personal Kanban is an approach to managing work that enables you to get things done with less stress. The strategy takes the Kanban system, which originated in Japanese factories, and applies it in a personal context. With Personal Kanban, you always know your priorities and what you should be doing now and next. You keep it simple. Keep it focused.

Essentially you manage priorities within three columns — ready to do, doing, and done — you write your tasks on actual or virtual sticky notes and move them across the columns as you progress them. I use one of many kanban-inspired apps, Trello, but you can equally use a whiteboard and Post-its. By limiting the number of notes you allow in the “doing” column to just one or two, you ensure you bring tasks to completion, rather than starting too many at once.

I’ve set up one for home life and one for my writing.

I review mine for the week ahead on a Sunday, put the tasks I need to do that week in the Ready To column — with dates for time-sensitive tasks — and check it daily before I start my writing. Mentally, my brain is then happy that it doesn’t have to remind me about things and so allows me to get quickly into writing when it’s that time.

№2 — Setting aside dedicated blocks of time with objectives

Also known as purposeful working. I got started with this on a small scale, by trying a 25-minute uninterrupted block of time using the productivity method known as pomodoro. A series of timed sessions with a mini-break between to stretch, get a drink, pat the dog etc … but definitely NOT start another task or check social media.

The really simple but essential element here is to make sure to set a clear goal or objective that you want to achieve by the end of the block of time. And to stick to that task until it is done — without distraction. You’ll recapture a lot of time that was previously consumed by ‘task switching’ as mentioned in No1 above by being that focused, and I defy anyone not to be surprised by what it is possible to achieve.

There are lots of apps out there, you can use your phone/watch or indeed a simple kitchen timer. My app of choice is Focus Keeper because I love the metronnomic tic-tic-tic sound which really helps me stay on track. Anecdotally, I’ve increased my writing efficiency by around 25% in a short matter of weeks. I’ve also started to dedicate some sessions to mapping out my publishing programme for the next quarter/year — as opposed to only using the time for writing, drawing the objectives for the sessions from my Trello board, to give some timeline and accountability to the business of being an author. But I decide ahead of the session what the focus is for that day, I don’t use the session time to decide. I rock up, and get straight stuck in. Again, I think the common thread with all these ‘tools/methods’ is that they have improved my work/life focused mindfulness.

№3 — Being prepared for the inevitable ‘writer’s block’

When inspiration doesn’t strike (and deadlines aren’t an issue), have a Plan B.

I don’t believe that ‘writer’s block’ exists in an absolute form but neither is it a myth. There are days when even with the best will in the world the Muse doesn’t show up when you need her to. At first, I’d spend that precious carved out time trying to forcibly will inspiration to materialise. Which, of course, it didn’t so I’d be left frustrated with nothing to show from that session.

Then I watched a documentary about celebrated crime fiction author Ian Rankin on how he writes. The piece was full of wonderful insights but the one that helped me here was that he has a folder in which he keeps notes, ideas, clippings from newspapers or pictures of locations — all manner of random things that pique his interest. He doesn’t do anything with them just puts them into a folder as he finds them, and puts it to one side.

Then, when he is in need of an idea or inspiration for a new storyline, he takes out the folder and goes through it, something invariably sparks an idea and so he goes with it, as the root for his next book. I’ve adapted his method and revert to my ideas folder when what’s planned to be worked on doesn’t materialise. I’m not concerned as to whether at that moment it fits into the exact point of the manuscript or if it becomes the start of another piece. The important thing is that it kickstarts the creative part of the brain.

Open your folder of works in progress, and just pick one thing to work on.

Write whatever you want, write what comes unforced, don’t expect greatness, just continue working. The best productivity tips you can Google can’t help you if you aren’t producing anything. You cannot edit a blank page. I’ve overcome countless bouts of writer’s block by pulling something out of my ideas stash and switching projects as a result. Generally, the Muse comes back within a day or two and the original project resumes.

I hope these insights and simple but effective tools help you to sustain your creativity. They are equally adaptable to other fields. I’d love to know how you manage and balance creating in real life too.

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