Jump Start Your Creative Side

Do you feel that your creative writing juices are napping?

I have noticed in several different trade magazines the subject of creativity has been addressed, indicating that as winter winds down so does our enthusiasm for our tasks at hand. It seems that our creativity may need a jump start.

Try these tips to jump start those creative juices and get those ideas flowing again.

1. Sit down with a child and color. That's right. Scribble, stay in the lines, make loop De loops, and use a bright color. Feel the tension ease from your soul and let the doodles spark your imagination.

2. Pick a year in your life that was difficult. Describe this in 100 words or less. If the time was emotional, your heart will want you to use more words to have it's say, so let it loose. No editing, just free writing. Put it away and don't try to analyze it. Let your mind be free of that anxiety and allow your heart to move on to something fun. Now sit down and write again.

3. Rewrite a conversation that you have had that went wrong, changing it to what should have been said. Now describe a character that would say those words.

4. Take a quick trip to your favorite office supply or book store. Allow yourself this field trip with a special reward for the work you have completed so far in 2010. Whether it is a new notebook, magazine, or pen, enjoy and think forward to how this will help you create the next writing piece.

5. Take a walk, bake a cake, visit the library, or pick an activity unrelated to your writing. A new scene or action may just trigger something that will get your writing off to a new and exciting trail.

Be relaxed about those periods of time when you do not feel creative. Find ways to stimulate your creativity by doing unrelated and fun activities. Before you know it another great idea will pop into your head and you will have no other choice but to write it down.

Happy writing.