Summary: Today, I list some real-world examples of when you can use the writing exercise I shared with you last week. (Click the links if you need a refresher on the exercise, itself.) When does it work best for you?
Last week, I introduced you to an original writing exercise that uses self-awareness to center you and channel your creative energy. How has it been working for you?
I met with my writer's group over the weekend, where I chatted with some of the attendees about this process. We discovered that, when it comes to creative writing, "switching genres" (as Sabina described it) can be very helpful. Using an exercise like this one is ideal for such circumstances, because it takes your mind off the point where you're 'stuck' in your short story or novel, and moves it onto something new and organic. Once the creative block has been cleared, your brain is free to move fluidly into new ideas that you can use in your story. Try it for yourself and see how easily you can organize your thoughts after the emotional crisis of writer's block has passed.
Not writing something fictional? If you're working on a report for work or for school, you can come to the same point of confusion. Perhaps it's your outline that's really getting you down—as Kurt told me he often experiences. Knowing what you'll say next is vital, but planning this out can create the same frustrations as free-writing. How do you overcome it?
Again, try the exercise from last week. You'll be amazed at how it frees up your brain to organize thoughts that once were jumbled. If it doesn't work at first (and you can spare the time), try it twice. By then, you'll know that you can write coherently on any random subject, and you're sure to have the confidence you need to finish that outline in front of you. Finally, share your experience here. We all grow as writers and thinkers when we can honestly compare notes.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Mar 28, 2010
Overcome Writer's Block with This List of Creative Resources
Summary: This special weekend post contains a list of links for the 'stuck' writer who wants to overcome writer's block.
After meeting with my writers' group yesterday (where we had a serious discussion about writer's block--something most of us have suffered from), I decided to compile a little list of resources this weekend. Here are some wonderful links to get you through writer's block any day of the week, so you can always speak your truth.
Tama Kieves' "Inviting Grace" guided meditation CD/audio file - In this guided meditation, career coach & author-speaker Tama Kieves leads you through an inner journey to the place where your creative self resides. A personal favorite of mine, it has helped me through many 'stuck' moments. She reminds the listener of the truth: "You are creative."
AwakeningArtistry.com - Tama's website also has a number of other resources, including other CDs and audio files, books, article links and workshops--all designed to help bring you closer to your deepest desires and overcome any roadblocks to success.
ScribblePlay.com - Hollywood script reader-turned-online writer Christopher Rice (who has added his own two cents on writer's block to the Beyond Talk blog series on the subject) created this web community for writers of all types to meet, connect and most importantly, share their work.
GoArticles.com - In addition to my forthcoming article on the subject, GoArticles has a nice collection of videos about overcoming writer's block.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
After meeting with my writers' group yesterday (where we had a serious discussion about writer's block--something most of us have suffered from), I decided to compile a little list of resources this weekend. Here are some wonderful links to get you through writer's block any day of the week, so you can always speak your truth.
Tama Kieves' "Inviting Grace" guided meditation CD/audio file - In this guided meditation, career coach & author-speaker Tama Kieves leads you through an inner journey to the place where your creative self resides. A personal favorite of mine, it has helped me through many 'stuck' moments. She reminds the listener of the truth: "You are creative."
AwakeningArtistry.com - Tama's website also has a number of other resources, including other CDs and audio files, books, article links and workshops--all designed to help bring you closer to your deepest desires and overcome any roadblocks to success.
ScribblePlay.com - Hollywood script reader-turned-online writer Christopher Rice (who has added his own two cents on writer's block to the Beyond Talk blog series on the subject) created this web community for writers of all types to meet, connect and most importantly, share their work.
GoArticles.com - In addition to my forthcoming article on the subject, GoArticles has a nice collection of videos about overcoming writer's block.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Nov 25, 2009
TRULY SPEAKING: Genuine Gratitude (& How to Show It)
Summary: Gratitude lists are one way to show thanksgiving any time of year. But there are even more creative ways to be grateful. How do you do it?
Ever heard of a gratitude list? It's as basic as it sounds: Take out a sheet of paper and start writing down everything you can think of that you're thankful to have in your life: dog, car, apartment, life, money, highlights in hair (your list may read). As you do this exercise, notice how your body begins to feel lighter and your mouth just wants to smile!
That's the purpose of a gratitude list: to make you physically and mentally aware that there is joy in being you.
Thanksgiving, as we learned this week, can be practiced at any time—not just the last Thursday in November, and not just in the U.S. Anyone, anywhere, anytime at all can sit down and jot out at least half a dozen items that make him or her smile; things that make life easier. Even YOU can do this!
This week, I challenge you to get creative with your gratitude list, especially if it's something familiar to you. Sometimes, taking a novel approach to being grateful helps you really feel it inside. Here are some ways I've refreshed my own thanksgiving around Thanksgiving time:
- Last year, I made playlist of music for my iPod that I dubbed my "gratitude mix." I included a lot of songs with words like "thanks," "thank you," "gratitude" and "grateful" in the title or the lyrics—everything from "Kind and Generous" by Natalie Merchant to "Praise You" by Fat Boy Slim to several versions of "I Thank You" (ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, and the original Sam & Dave). As my mother and I shared the stove on Thanksgiving morning (and Dad minded the oven and the turkey), I shared my music with the family to get us into a grateful mood. It worked! We danced around the kitchen, sampling small bites of everything (to test it, of course) and growing happier and happier.
- Two years before that, I brought a special heart-engraved notebook to the Thanksgiving feast and passed it around to all of my relatives. I'd hand-written a note to each of them, naming at least one thing I was grateful to them for through the years. Then I offered them the opportunity to write down something they were grateful for in life, as well. Some people chose to tell me something they were grateful to me for specifically (a pleasant surprise that really made me feel loved); others wrote down something they were grateful for in general, while still others made out their very own gratitude lists.
- My sister-in-law came up with a wonderful idea that same year: All those who had written out a list should review it the following year to reflect on how bountiful their lives had become with the passage of time. That's what we did then, and it was a joyful experience for me to hear my teenage niece and nephew, particularly, reflect on what they were thankful for and smile in remembrance. We went around the table after that, each naming something aloud for which we gave thanksgiving anew.
How creative can you get (or have you gotten) with your gratitude?
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
Ever heard of a gratitude list? It's as basic as it sounds: Take out a sheet of paper and start writing down everything you can think of that you're thankful to have in your life: dog, car, apartment, life, money, highlights in hair (your list may read). As you do this exercise, notice how your body begins to feel lighter and your mouth just wants to smile!
That's the purpose of a gratitude list: to make you physically and mentally aware that there is joy in being you.
Thanksgiving, as we learned this week, can be practiced at any time—not just the last Thursday in November, and not just in the U.S. Anyone, anywhere, anytime at all can sit down and jot out at least half a dozen items that make him or her smile; things that make life easier. Even YOU can do this!
This week, I challenge you to get creative with your gratitude list, especially if it's something familiar to you. Sometimes, taking a novel approach to being grateful helps you really feel it inside. Here are some ways I've refreshed my own thanksgiving around Thanksgiving time:
- Last year, I made playlist of music for my iPod that I dubbed my "gratitude mix." I included a lot of songs with words like "thanks," "thank you," "gratitude" and "grateful" in the title or the lyrics—everything from "Kind and Generous" by Natalie Merchant to "Praise You" by Fat Boy Slim to several versions of "I Thank You" (ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, and the original Sam & Dave). As my mother and I shared the stove on Thanksgiving morning (and Dad minded the oven and the turkey), I shared my music with the family to get us into a grateful mood. It worked! We danced around the kitchen, sampling small bites of everything (to test it, of course) and growing happier and happier.
- Two years before that, I brought a special heart-engraved notebook to the Thanksgiving feast and passed it around to all of my relatives. I'd hand-written a note to each of them, naming at least one thing I was grateful to them for through the years. Then I offered them the opportunity to write down something they were grateful for in life, as well. Some people chose to tell me something they were grateful to me for specifically (a pleasant surprise that really made me feel loved); others wrote down something they were grateful for in general, while still others made out their very own gratitude lists.
- My sister-in-law came up with a wonderful idea that same year: All those who had written out a list should review it the following year to reflect on how bountiful their lives had become with the passage of time. That's what we did then, and it was a joyful experience for me to hear my teenage niece and nephew, particularly, reflect on what they were thankful for and smile in remembrance. We went around the table after that, each naming something aloud for which we gave thanksgiving anew.
How creative can you get (or have you gotten) with your gratitude?
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009
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