6 Creative Ways to Boost Your Writing in 2018

by Cathy Baker @CathySBaker

“Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits.”

Twyla Tharp

Some believe we’re either born with the creative gene or we’re not. Truth is, it’s a moot point. God created us in His image so it seems likely that we all have some measure of creativity pulsing through our veins. The challenge is to transfer the creativity in our veins to paper.

There are, however, specific ways to create good work habits that will awaken creativity.

Consider Your Habits. What daily patterns furthered your goals last year and which ones hindered them? Write each one down. Thinking of the two types of patterns is the first step in moving forward, but writing them down dramatically increases the likelihood doing them.

Maximize Your Minutes. E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web, cuts right to the point: “A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.” Ouch. There’s a plethora of information on the Internet as to how to we can make time for writing but let’s sum this up in four words: Sit down and write.

Define Your Peak Time and Stick to It. Most creative types are early risers. This fact has been documented numerous times but there are others, like Carl Sandburg, who worked late into the evening after everyone had gone to bed. If you’re not sure when your energy level is at its peak, jot down how you’re feeling throughout the day. Do this for a week. By then, you should be able to tell when your energy peaks and plummets on most days. Define it—then do your best to work other responsibilities around those hours.

Remain alert to your surroundings. Breathe deeper. Stare longer. Listen more intently. Take time to touch the weathered bench in the park or the lush feel of a sweater. Henry James wrote, “A writer is someone on whom nothing is lost.”

Build rest into your schedule. This can look different for everyone. Maybe it means writing for thirty minutes and resting for five. Studies show that a twenty-minute nap increases alertness, improves clarity of mind, and well, puts us in a better mood. Not only will our work-in-progress benefit from the rest, but our bodies will too.

And my favorite: Drink more coffee. Recent studies state that coffee improves energy levels, drastically improves physical performance, and may even prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Although caffeine is quickly absorbed, its energy-boosting properties peak between 30-70 minutes after consumption so enjoy a cup of brew approximately one hour before writing.

In celebration of the wonders of coffee, I will randomly select a name from the comments below on Monday, January 8^th for a Starbucks gift card!

So, which of the above habits will you try in 2018?

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Cathy Baker is an award-winning writer and author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach as well as Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains. As a twenty-five year veteran Bible instructor, she's led hundreds of studies and workshops. She's also contributed to numerous anthologies and publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Upper Room, and Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family. In addition, her poetry can be found in several popular anthologies. She and her husband, Brian, live in the foothills of the Carolinas where she one day hopes to have her very own Goldendoodle.