Do you fumble your words, start and stop writing, and moan that you’re “just not a writer”?
Do you yearn to be a spectacular wordsmith but keep falling short?
Do you think you’ll never get any better at scribbling powerful sentences so you should quit trying?
Stop that nonsense right now.
Anyone can grow a luxuriant writing practice with the right tools and the right mindset.
And the best part?
You can start right now, wherever you are and whatever you have available.
So let’s do this.
Explore these 3 ways to grow a luxuriant writing practice and burn that paper up.
1. Write every day before you go online.
Listen! Stop giving social media the best hours of your peak creativity and high-octane energy.
Grab yourself a journal and pen.
Write every morning before your day begins.
Write down your thoughts, prayers, hopes, wishes, dreams, desires, and ideas.
Who you want to be, how you want to live, love, serve, and create?
Are all fuel for your fire.
Thinking out loud on paper helps you get clear on what’s hot and what’s not. You learn to identify your thought patterns, behavioural loops, and the things that trip you up or keep you from being your best.
Doing this in the morning harnesses your clear, rested mind before you’re bombarded with endless status updates, ads, news, and emails.
Get the most of each writing session while you’re still fresh and excited about the day ahead.
Every time I succumb to the pull of my smartphone before I write in my journal, I’m antsy, scatterbrained, and unable to focus for hours. I sacrifice my peak creativity and high energy hours for what’s trending online, and I have nothing to show for it when I emerge fuzzy-headed and guilty about the lost time.
When I try super hard to write anyway, it feels like squeezing blood from stone and I’m lucky if I scribble 100 words or more I can actually publish without cringing.
But when I do resist the pull and write instead?
I make the most of my morning hours and create something or a bunch of somethings that grow my soul and sharpen my skills.
The words flow from my pen, I hit 800+ words or even 1K without breaking a sweat, and I can publish most of it. Win-win!
If you’re new at this, or you haven’t done it in a while, and you’re freaking out over writing first thing in the morning, relax.
Set your timer for 10, 15 minutes and just riff on what comes up. You’ll find your rhythm as you show up each day and build your writing muscles.
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2. Take lots of photographs.
Put your smartphone to work.
Take pictures of the people, places, and objects that fascinate you and pore over each one.
What do you like about the photo? Is it the lighting, the background, the angle, the styling, the make-up, the decor?
What would you do differently if you took it again? Would you go black and white instead of full colour? Would you prefer a photo of the sunny pier crowded with sightseers or the quiet space of an early sunrise shot?
Write down your answers and explore what draws you to each photograph. You’ll learn to organise your thoughts and describe things better, which you’ll need to take your writing to the next level. It’s allll about the details, yo.
Do this often enough and you’ll have a large pool of images to enjoy and spark a writing session.
Bonus points if you have a DSLR camera to tote on your adventures.
You’re not trying to become the next Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz, so don’t stress out about this. Enjoy yourself and see what comes up for you.
3. Read great poetry.
There’s so much out there, you guys. Whether it’s classical, contemporary, epic, haiku, or some other style, there’s something for everyone.
Explore your local library. Google some poets. Buy a few books of poetry and copy out your favourites.
Reading (and copying out) great poetry opens up your vocabulary, perspective, and creative range.
You think in Technicolour 3D and learn to write on paper what you see in your head.
Your words become clear, powerful, and sharp because you’re tapping into the raw emotions you feel and see and taste.
And when you try your own hand at writing poetry or prose, you stretch your writing muscles and light up your neurons because you’re practising a different way of seeing and experiencing the world.
I keep a notebook of poems and quotes that inspire me, and the more bons mots I gather, the richer and more nuanced my writing becomes.
My poetry’s more diverse, my blog posts are brighter, and I find myself thinking like a storyteller, not just a blogger and copywriter. My words come alive because I’m more alive, and it rocks.
You can enjoy the same thing too.
Remember, you’re not trying to become the next big thing or compete with anyone.
You’re just learning to express yourself so you can dive into the ocean of your potential and emerge brimming with rubies and pearls.
Pace Yourself
You won’t bloom into a spectacular writer overnight, but you will bloom with enough time, energy, and practice.
Growing a luxuriant writing practice is a long game. You commit to writing every day so you can be a better writer, creative, dreamer, and maker.
Aim for spectacular and don’t stop until you get there.
Writing doesn’t have to pay the bills before you do it every day.
It can be a hobby, a form of self-care, or the prelude to another creative act, and it’ll still be super useful to you.
Dive in.
Write words that breathe and are alive.
Your spectacular awaits.
Photo by Shots by Priiincesss
Wow! Otiti, this is priceless!! I needed it 👌👌👌
Yaaaay! You’re welcome, Momma! Go forth and conquer! 😀