Valley of the Muse

When I first started reading about increasing writing productivity, I remember seeing a suggestion about creating a bit of a ritual to get into a writing frame of mind. The author shared theirs – making a cup of tea. It seemed like a very simple thing to do, but I’ve never been good at sticking to a routine.

I felt I was destined to be an uneven writer, at least in terms of output. If you remember the bucket principle from a few days ago, I tend to either drip away or on rare occasions have unrestrained inspiration but whenever that happens I get overwhelmed and stop writing for a period of time. My goal has always been to turn up the tap, so to speak, and maintain a steady daily wordcount, but my schedule varies so that creating a writing routine isn’t feasible and I’ve felt discouraged.

The thing is, I’ve been wrong this whole time. The point of the writing ritual isn’t to create a routine; it’s to bring you into the present so that you can focus on writing. It’s possible that I’ve spent my whole life misunderstanding what a routine is, but I’ve always pictured calendars and time sheets that illustrate a particular path of your day that looks the same as the next. It meant that if I was in the mood for chocolate tea, well, too bad, because the routine clearly states peppermint.

I’m the kind of person that lives in my dreams and in my mind, and I’m not naturally a grounded person, but I started to notice that when I introduced a certain kind activity during my week it’s become easier to sit down and get things done. I’ve struggled with procrastination and with getting distracted my whole life, but over the past few months, I’ve suddenly been able to focus enough to accomplish the things I’ve only ever dreamt about.

For me, it’s come down to activities that help me maintain a level of presence, of mindfulness, and it helps remind me and my brain that I’m capable of being in the moment. It’s not so much about sticking to a schedule or waiting for something in my head to click and make it ok to begin, but about simply being able to sit down and write.

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Tags: Creative Block, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Practical Methodology, Productivity