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I welcome 2013 with open arms and submission. 

Do you ever sit down to plan and organize your work week but find that you enjoy the organizing more than the doing? That's me in a nutshell. It's taken a decade to realize this, but I'm grateful that I have! And this is why 2013 is going to be different!

First my health. Last year was all about my mental health and figuring out my identity. This year it's about my physical health...and that includes stress levels. 

I'm a highly active person, not in the sports or adventurous aspects, but I'm always moving, thinking, and analyzing. Can you relate?

To bring the stress down, I reorganized my studio into "sections". I had this before, but not so broken down. When we move I will break it down even further. I have four sections: Office, Create, Process, and Craft.

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Last Saturday on The Muffin, I talked about rekindling the spark when you think your creative flow has slowed...or even stopped. I shared eleven tips to rejuvenate your writing (and your mind).

Did you implement any of these ideas this past week? How successful were you at jumpstarting your creativity?

Today, I'll share another eleven tips to spark your imagination. Ready? Go.

1. Rest. Some of us are early birds, others night owls; but, if you aren't rested, your creative levels dip. Take it from someone who thinks she can survive on five hours of sleep (and really can't), a good night's rest - even a power nap mid-afternoon - boosts my ability to think clearly and accomplish goals.
2. Be appreciative. Sometimes, take a step back and be thankful for the blessings you have in life. That sense of calm that washes over you when you take stock of what you have provides even more incentive.
3. Watch a movie. It works for me! Sure, viewing a movie for fun is, well, fun, but if I tune in to the intricacies of the movie - the plot, the relationships between characters, the pacing - I come up with ideas I can put into practice in my own writing. Try it!
4. Travel to a new place. Now, don't use this as an excuse to hop on a plane and jet to some exotic locale. Or do use it! Just remember: Travel doesn't mean you have to go far from home. Is there a new coffee shop in town you've been wanting to visit? Go. Did a new art exhibit open at the hip gallery in the historic district? Check it out.
5. Make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Letting go of the perfectionist title is tough, I know, but you'll stress less if you relax and realize imperfection is a valuable teaching tool.
6. Practice. I like this tip. If you give up, how will you reach your goal? Practice, practice, practice, then, practice more. 
7. Don't give up. Write yourself into a corner? Happens to the best of us. Maybe that plot line you've outlined isn't headed where you expected. Maybe a character acts out of character. Maybe an interview subject won't take your lead and expand his or her responses for an article. Don't give up. Keep tweaking your work and you'll reach the finish line.
8. Collaborate. This can be tough for writers since a lot of times, we tend to work independently. Forming a partnership offers multiple benefits. Maybe you've just found a sounding board for ideas. Maybe you've discovered a critique group. Maybe you've found an editing partner. Hearing and seeing new ideas implemented boost creativity and critical thought.
9. Seek feedback. Feedback may be the single most important element in the writing/creative process. Without it, writing can become stale and one-dimensional.
10. Find creative types. And I'm not talking about fonts, folks. Attend a conference. Go to a  re
    4 Comments on Rekindling the Creative Spark, Part 2, last added: 7/7/2012
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    Sioux said, on 7/7/2012 9:06:00 AM
    

    LuAnn--
    
    I especially like #7. I recently did not carefully read a call for submissions, and thought they wanted a memoir, when in fact they wanted a fictional story. I had it almost finished, so I just wrote a rollicking (made up) ending and sent it off.
    
    Sometimes those "corners" we write ourselves into give us a fresh perspective. Even though Patrick Swayze insisted, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner," often the corner is not a bad place for a writer to be...

    Just One Boomer (Suzanne) said, on 7/7/2012 1:53:00 PM
    

    Walk---without headphones. I get my best ideas and writing prompts when walking by myself. (Admittedly, it's a little hard to want to do this when it's 101 air temp outside---and it's NOT a dry heat in Philly.)

    Margo Dill said, on 7/7/2012 7:56:00 PM
    

    I'm really trying to work on tip #1!

    Virginia B. said, on 7/7/2012 8:21:00 PM
    

    I need to work on #8 and #9. Thanks for sharing this great list.

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Yesterday, as I perused a few education sites for writing tips to implement in my classroom, I stumbled upon a great list offering ways to stay creative. (Unfortunately, I don't remember which site I was on and I forgot to bookmark it. Don't you dislike when that happens? But, I did print the PDF file offering the tips.)


At some point, we all need a creative boost. We slide into a routine, thinking the work we produce is good enough, and then BAM! The creative brain waves halt. Know the feeling? C'mon, raise your hands, because it's happened to you, too.

The good news is simple: rekindling the creativity spark can be as simple as taking a common object with you wherever you go or working with other creative types.

While these are geared to high school students, the ideas perfectly fit writers of all ages. Let's see how they apply to a writer's life.

1.  Become a risk taker. Remember that routine I talked about earlier? Don't fall into that trap. Take a chance instead. Want to publish in a NYT? You won't ever see it in print UNLESS you submit. Have an idea for a breakout book series? Until you put the words on the page, it won't happen. So, take a risk. What are you waiting for?
2. . Break rules. Sure, it's a bit of a conundrum - the whole "rules are meant to be broken/follow the rules" debate. When I started freelancing, I broke one publication's "don't call the editor" rule. Guess what. I landed five additional assignments.
3. Do more of what makes you happy. For me, that's cooking and writing. I do a lot of both.
4. Don't force it. So true! I worked on a chapter of a YA novel for a month, trying to get it to flow. I took a two -week break from it and when I returned to it, clarity. It's amazing how that happens.
5. Read a page of the dictionary. I find this happens quite a bit...although not on purpose. I'll be checking out a word in Flip Dictionary and I'll realize I've been perusing page upon page. The best part, I'll find a word, key in on it, and begin word association. It's amazing how one word can spark an entire page of writing!
6. Build a framework. Can you work without one?
7. Stop trying to be someone else's perfect. Enough said.
8. Write down ideas. You never know when - or where - inspiration will hit, but I've had brilliant ideas surface, only to forget all facets of the idea later.Take it from someone who learned the hard way: Write it down. Now.
9. Clean your workspace. Agreed. If I would clean my office more often, I do think I'd be more productive. While the organized chaos theory works for me most of the time, sometimes, it becomes an obstruction to accomplishing a goal.
10. Have fun. Laugh. Live. Enjoy yourself. Then, return to your writing. You'll sense a new attitude.
11. Finish something. Nothing spurs creativity than finishing one project so you can begin brainstorming for another.

The next time you feel the spark burn out, try one of these surefire tips to rekindle the flame and renew your writer's spirit.

How

1 Comments on Need to Rekindle the Spark? Tips for Staying Creative, last added: 6/30/2012

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Corrie Ann said, on 6/30/2012 5:32:00 PM

I agree with the Flip Dictionary idea - love that book!

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