I’m getting closer to publishing my new book on creativity called Meeting the Muse: 28 Ways to Unlock the Pleasures & Avoid the Pitfalls of Your Creative Life.
As regular readers know, this book is not about book publishing, it’s about the motives that move us to be creative, and the obstacles we often encounter.
My hope is in writing and publishing this book that I might save some younger artists and writers from some of the bad mindsets, wrong thinking, and blocked attempts at creativity that plague us all at times.
There are 28 separate short chapters in the book, each with a topic statement followed by a discussion of the theme from the topic. Each ends with a quote from someone you might recognize.
I’ve published on the blog the first of these sections, now I’d like to show you a different side.
There are 9 “Flex Your Creativity” exercises I created for the book, because putting these ideas into practice is what connects them with the real world, where we sit banging on our keyboards.
Here’s the list of Flex-Your-Creativity Exercises at the back of the book:
- Pay Attention
- Practice Freewriting
- Create a List of Lists
- Write a Haiku
- Take a Walk
- Establish a Daily Creative Practice
- Harness Your Moods
- Brainstorm with Mind Mapping
- Write a Letter to the Muse
Here’s an excerpt and Exercise number 2. It just could transform your writing life.
Flex-Your-Creativity Exercises
The best way I know to bring the ideas in this book to life is to put them in practice.
In this section, you’ll find exercises that can help you stimulate your own creativity. Some will appeal more than others, so follow your intuition to decide which to try first.
Throughout, remember that setting aside time to dive into the creative process often has an element of play, and I encourage you to enjoy this journey while you’re on it.
Practice Freewriting
More than any other creative practice, freewriting liberated me from many years of being creatively stuck.
What is freewriting?
It’s a deceptively simple practice that taps into our creative potential. It starts with a very short list of ingredients and is guided by a few simple ideas.
Why would you want to use it?
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