What I learned from not publishing for a fortnight.

Staying creative in a busy life

We live in a world where we are bombarded by ideas every day. It can however be hard to focus when our minds are going a thousand miles an hour with a million things to do. Well, that’s an exaggeration but you get my drift.

Summertime is fun and a great time for creativity, but when family, friends and business demand our attention, our writing creativity can be pushed to the back seat. I realised this fact in the last couple of weeks after running around like a headless chicken all day and trying to be creative at the end of it.

There is no one writer I know who wants their writing creativity to remain in the back seat for longer than necessary. We all know that consistency is the key to success.

As Tony Robbins put it, ‘It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.’ We therefore want to keep pushing and being consistent in our writing no matter how demanding our outside world is.

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently — Tony Robbins

Here are some of the things I’ve learned

1. Always carry a notepad and pen ready to write down ideas that pop into your head. This will psychologically increase your awareness as you go about your business. Don’t forget, seemingly insignificant moments spark inspiration.
2. Have the discipline to absorb things you find interesting. Live your life through the eyes of a reporter. Observe the world including people’s behaviour and responses through the lens of a reporter. The questions people ask in certain settings can be a great source of inspiration.
3. Have the discipline to record. Once you are aware of a possible idea, record it by writing it down in the notepad. There is a possibility they might get lost in the daily chaos of life if not recorded immediately. Take pictures for reference, you might need them later.
4. Train yourself to relax and accept that you can’t be in two places at the same time. You cannot enjoy a moment with family or friends and be writing at the same time. Allow yourself undivided attention and stay focused. As long as you have recorded your ideas, there is no urgency to write here and now.
5. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries. Creative thinking begins with careful observation of the world coupled with meaningful analysis of how things work or fail. There is no limit to what inspirations you can find when you are observant of the world around you. Don’t miss out on something amazing just because it’s outside your niche.

Someone once said that fire only burns when it has room to breathe; You are your best self when you’re relaxed and have a clear mind. Don’t be too hard on yourself when you can’t write or publish as often as you would want to. It helps to publish often and the algorithm may punish you if you don’t, but sometimes we just can’t help it.

One very important thing I have learned is the value of community — the tribe. You may not know that people are looking out for your next story when you’re out there minding your own business. It is very encouraging and uplifting.

That said I would like to thank Natalie for reminding me that my absence was felt and Indigo for enabling me to remain present in my absence through Read4Read, a read-for-read club that enables members to connect, support and engage with each other.

If you are not aware of the Read4Read club you can check it out here. It’s free to join.