Bring Yourself Back Into Your Writing Groove!

Go Hang Out at Your Happy Place

#1- It is not so much about output. I’m purely process-driven.

I lost my writing groove last week, it wasn’t just about my output for the week. There’s a lot more to my reasons ‘why’ for my writing. It’s about what makes me tick.

I love the process of soaking in the white noise of people in my favorite cafe, peering into their laptops or books. They are present in their respective chairs and benches, but so also non-existent. I don’t have to engage with them. But each one adds to the human element in the cafe. Everyone present contributes to it.

That’s the beauty — you get to have your cake and eat it too.

#2- When I don’t write for days, it feels like I’m having food without salt. Feel me, y’all?

This is how the past few months panned out:

• I am ideating to the clattering of the keys on the keyboard as I punch one gem of an idea after another.
• And keep tossing the chaff from the grain away, in my mind.
• Writing is my thing. One of many things. You’ll learn more about me. Bit by bit, I promise.
• I love to be in a focused space for 2–3 hours.
• Those few hours of working on an article for a focused block of time gave me a sense of purpose and clarity of thought.
• The joy derived is akin to a 4-year-old desperate to tear apart, the wrapping paper of the presents, before all the guests leave.
• That focused feeling permeates my headspace throughout the day and week ahead.
• If I’m not able to groove to this rhythm for a week, I’ll feel like I’m having my meals without salt. Something is amiss. Dead sure about that!
• I need to express my thoughts, my ever-evolving worldview, and my continuously evolving perspectives on this and that.
• To keep me grooving to the melody of life. To craft my lyrics.

#3- I was not able to stick with my writing schedule for over a week.

As a result, I was feeling:

Uggghhh!

That is precisely what happened last week. Due to some personal commitments, I got derailed from my perfectly choreographed pirouette pattern.

As the week came to a screeching halt, I was feeling low on energy. And it was defeated.

My action-taking model of writing toward my daily purpose was missing.

I write because I love to. It makes my soul sing. My heart vibes. My eyes sparkle.

#4- I decided to forcibly fly out of the stupor

Enough is enough. This is not the way to live. Without a definitive sense of purpose.

I decided to fly out of this stupor. No better way than to go to my favorite coffee joint in the morning.

This was three days ago. Even though I had got derailed from my writing routine.

I forced myself to go hang out at the coffee joint. Without any pressure of having to write a single word.

#5- What transpired at the coffee joint

It is not like I walked in and started punching the most compelling take on ‘Atomic Habits.’ I was a case of cold mental muscles.

Just like you train at the gym for 8 months, then get derailed for 4 weeks and go back. It will take time to warm those cold muscles.

But that did not deter me. I am writer material, remember? Have bitten rejection many a time. I sat there soaking in the vibe of the place.

Observing people around me was such a welcome respite. Respond to the monotony and distraction of the home environment. So, it's like a feeling of sanity being restored after a disappointing holiday.

Of course, observing people in a coffee joint is intellectually stimulating as well. There’s so much going on. Yet no action scenes transpire. There is a distinct rhythm in each coffee shop.

The same kind of people frequent coffee shops. They become part of the atmosphere of the cafe. You have to fine-tune yourself to the art of discerning that rhythm.

I was enjoying the usual cafe scenarios as they panned out:

The aroma of coffee beans being brewed, wafted through the cafe and tickled my nostrils. Such a pleasantly energising whiff to walk into.

A college girl was digging into her cream bagel with a mug of macchiato.

Another couple were so into each other. I love seeing people ecstatic in love.

Another new face, a writer perhaps, was punching relentlessly into his laptop.

My brain started warming to some new ideas to write about.

The trick of visiting the coffee place had worked its way into heating the cold oven in my brain. This particular cafe is my happy place, after all.

I pulled out my notes journal. I started jotting down the few ideas that had just floated through my PFC (pre-frontal cortex).

#6- My brain is becoming all toasty. I’m getting into the writing groove.

I loved the music that was playing. Do ya guys know why?

The same standard playlist that they have at all their branches. Since forever. No, I don’t get sick of it. Ever.

Familiar mental stimulation. Always works. Takes me back to the headspace when I started writing regularly at this cafe, months ago.

People watching is so fun!

The churn in my brain beginning to happen rapidly now.

A boulder on a hillock in motion.

Right at the beginning — inert.

Will not budge. Even with a stick.

Slow Mo then.

All of a sudden, rapidly speeding towards the base.

Now the oven of my brain had become toasty.

Several ideas were doing the cartwheel, the flip, the merry-go-round in the sprawling ‘Hanging Gardens’ of my writer’s brain.

#7- No way was I going to lose the heat of the brain at that moment ;)

I pulled out my laptop and started to punch my mind away. The first draft is always the brain dump, remember?

I never do the brain dump and edit on the same day. I allow at least two nights of sleep to elapse between the first draft and the edit.

For the mind to acquire layers of objectivity around my ideas. So that after 48 hours, I can happily kill all of my ‘bloody’ darlings. Just butcher them. Smash and punch the rotten tomatoes.

And make marmalade with the ‘oh-so-ripe’ oranges. In this case, the ideas that have stood the 48-hour test.

#8- I finally found my lost joie-de-vivre.

Wow, man, I was enjoying it. I found my joie de vivre. I was feeling kicked to be alive. And it was not like I had transacted any dollars with anyone.

Just immersing in the pursuit of my passion, had unleashed a confetti of joy, peace, and being centered.

They are being aligned. Feeling symmetrical. Observing Fibonacci sequences everywhere around me.

Happens when you are totally ‘in the now.’ The best feeling ever. That sense of accomplishment! Delicious!

Now, grooving to the music as I deposit haphazard words on the word document that are flowing out of my fingers, spelling mistakes, what have you, typos et al.

For now, I’m going to just roll with the rhythm that has taken over me. Not disturb the flow of thoughts. Of ideas. Of gems glittering on the shoreline. I’m grooving to the beat and the groove of my joyous activity.

SWISH!

I’m back. With a bang (we’ll figure that out soon)! Yay!

Thanks so much for reading my ‘why’ for writing and my ‘process’ of ideating. And how I got back into the groove when I had derailed using a simple hack. I hope it inspires you to get out of a stupor (in case you are in one) and rediscover your passion once more, all over again.