Creativity is all around us. Everything you see was created and designed by someone. I collect ideas. I collect designs. I have a file on my computer and I have a physical file on my desk. I collect flyers, headlines, ads and mailings. On my computer I collect newsletters, e-blasts and screenshots. When I feel writer’s block I go to my files, find an idea, plant a seed and watch it grow.
One way I have found to write effectively, is to write it all out and then edit what you’ve written. When I write, I don’t stop until it’s all out; I don’t edit. If I stop to edit as I write, I lose the thread of my creativity and forget half of what I wanted to say. The only thing I accomplish when I edit as I write, is that the comma might be in the right spot, in the first sentence. The only sentence. Which isn’t quite what I want to happen. So, I write until I’ve got the whole story out, and then I edit.
Another way to increase your creativity is allow yourself to daydream. Let your mind wander, ask “why” more often. Robert Kennedy love to ask “why not?” Albert Einstein thought imagination was more important than intelligence. Walt Disney was quoted as saying, “Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” So do a little daydreaming today, you’ll be in good company.
One more simple way to improve your creative writing skills is to keep a notebook. I have one with me at all times. I jot down ideas, lines, or single words I hear on the TV or the radio that spark one feeling or another in me. I also note observations and collect quotes. When I don’t have a notepad with me I have my tablet or my smartphone and make notes on those.
Writing should be fun. It takes practice. Keep a blog, keep that notebook with you, Tweet, use Facebook as a mini blog. The more you do it. The better you get at it.
How are you improving your creative writing skills?
