Tips & Tricks for Maintaining Creativity

Contrary to popular belief, creative juice doesn’t just flow freely in most the minds of most bloggers. For most of us it’s an ongoing process and not something that comes naturally 24 hours a day. So to ease the troubled minds of some of the other moms/bloggers out there who may be feeling in the middle of their own pit of boredom, I thought I share with you my secrets to overcoming writers block and creative failure.

• You need creative juice to GET creative juice.

For me, this comes in the form of a playlist on my iPod. Yep. I have a special selection of songs that I turn on when I need to sit down and write. These songs include random mixes from ACDC, Tom Petty, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and even some Miley Cyrus {say what you want, but Party in the USA is a kick-A dance song}. I can’t listen to slow music, love ballads or anything excessively dull while I write. I need up-tempo, I need rock, I need something that leaves me dancing in my seat. If I’m upbeat, my creativity tends to flow more fluently. For example: right now, as I write this, I’m jamming Waiting is the Hardest Part by Tom Petty; the song that plays next? The Way You Make Me Feel by MJ. If you are bored where you are sitting and can’t enjoy your writing, then the words simply won’t come.

 

• Turn off and silence all distractions.

Whether this comes in the form of the TV, other internet distractions, your husband or your adorable two year old, you can’t expect to make any progress on anything if you have to stop every few minutes. If you are having to pause to fix supper, check your Facebook, reply to a tweet, catch the last few minutes of a show, then you shouldn’t even bother to stop and write. You’ll rarely produce anything that you are completely satisfied with and it will take much longer to crank out worthy writing than you intend. If you wait until you have enough silent time to where you can actually SIT and concentrate on what you are writing, then you will be much more content with your work. Another thing that I’ve learned [and I’ve talked to other moms who are the same way] about writing productively is to turn off Twitter and Facebook. We are a social media driven society. No doubt about it. And for most of us, Twitter and Facebook are outlets just like blogs are. We co nnect with other moms, we converse. That’s all fine, well and good. But they are distractions. Again, you can’t write efficiently if you are stopping to tweet and write on walls. It’s just never gonna happen. So turn it off.

• Find time to be alone and FOCUS.

I know that this is easier said than done. Being a full time stay-at-home mom, I understand the demands that children have on a schedule. Because, let’s face it: with kids there really isn’t much of a schedule when it comes to things like potty breaks, snack time, rescuing Buzz Lightyear from the toilet [oh yeah, it happened], and saving “big dog” [Little Man’s prized stuff puppy] from the same toilet peril that Buzz experienced. These things pop up without any kind of warning. But they are expected. Anyone who has been a parent for more than 72 hours knows that things happen. Things WILL happen. So your best best is to try to schedule some time for yourself at some point during the day where you can get some productive writing done. For me, it’s early in the morning after the husband has gone to work and the little guy is still in bed. That’s my time. I read blogs, comment on blogs, reply to my own comments, and write new posts if I need to. This is al so my email, Twitter and Facebook time, so you’ll have to figure out how to manage everything in your own way. I also write at night when the husband is studying and the kid is in bed. Or during naptime [like right now]. Any time I can squeeze in to do my writing. Which brings me to my next point…

 

• Plan out posts and jot down ideas as they come to you.

I have a notebook and a planner that is devoted to my blog. Most other “professional bloggers” will tell you that they have something similar. I bought one of the Orange Circle Studio Do it All Planners at Target and LOVE it. I can do EVERYTHING with this planner. There is a whole section in mine devoted to planning out my blog [the when and what I’m posting]. I also have a notebook-just a plain five subject notebook [from Target] where I jot down any and all ideas that I have for my blog. Most of the time the ideas from my notebook get explored further and generally published as a blog. I also use my notebook to expand on ideas. I brainstorm what I want to write, the points I want to make, the audience I’m targeting. It’s saved me from a lot of writers block and headaches. When I can, I also try to write continuously. Meaning that when I snag a couple of hours of silence [whether at home or when I make my trips to Starbucks for writing time] I try to pu mp out more than one post. If I can crank out two or three, I consider it to be a highly successful day. These posts get scheduled in advance and takes the pressure off feeling like I have to come up with something new at the drop of a hat.

• Have everything ready and together when you start writing.

Just like a photographer wouldn’t go to a photo-shoot with out a camera, you shouldn’t come to write without everything you need. Be it a snack, a drink, your iPod…whatever it is that YOU need to write [and do it efficiently] have it with you when you start. For me, that includes my computer [obviously], my planner & notebook, my iPod, comfy clothes, and a drink. I generally don’t move from my computer until my post is complete, so I want to have everything with me when I begin. It’s a little bit more difficult for me right now since I don’t have my own office/desk area, but I spread my stuff out on the table and have at it.

And lastly, remember to HAVE FUN with your writing. Keep a focus on why you started blogging in the first place. I think too many people have become frustrated with some of the fads and fashions of the blogging world right now. The custom designs, the SEO jargon, the revenue. All of that is fine, well and good. I love a good design as much as anyone [did you never notice how often my blog changed designs?!] and I admit to having done my own research on SEO and trafficking. But always, always remember that you started writing for a purpose. Don’t lose sight of what it is that you love and why you love it.