writer's block

Creativity is a Skill – & How to Develop It

I’ve considered myself a creative person all my life – “It’s a gift.” I’ve been told that and believed it for a very long time.

But now that I TEACH creativity, I’ve learned a very important fact: creativity can be cultivated, even in those who believe they don’t have the gift. The fact that it CAN be cultivated means that in the end, creativity is more skill than gift.

So exactly can you become a more creative indivdual? The obvious answer is to practice more creative activities, but there are other ways you can boost your inspiration that may surprise you.

And as an added bonus: they’ll have a positive effect on the overall health of your brain too. As a woman of a “certain age” that’s something I can really appreciate!

In this article from BeBrainFit.com, you’ll find 10 ways to boost your creativity. Some you may consider obvious, but I’m certain some of them will surprise you.

How to Be More Creative: 10 Surprising Ways

And for more creativity, how about picking up a FREE copy of 5 Freestyle Mindmapping and Brainstorming Exercises below.

Includes Guidance + Mind Map on Each of the Following Exercises:

Exercise 1: Mind Clearing
Exercise 2: Inside the Box
Exercise 3: Opposites
Exercise 4: To the End
Exercise 5: Unusual Answers

Can You Write 10,000 Words in a Day?

Today I want to share a blog post that I read a while back that totally inspired me.

It’s by author Rachel Aaron, and it tells the story of how she went from writing 2k words in a day to 10k words! It’s a long post, and she tells you exactly what she did.

How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day

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According to Rachel:

Drastically increasing your words per day is actually pretty easy, all it takes is a shift in perspective and the ability to be honest with yourself (which is the hardest part).

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Read the post and see if it doesn’t help with your writing productivity! With the first annual National Writing Date Day coming, wouldn’t you like to make the most of your date?

Much Happiness and Success!

What To Do About Writer’s Block

Whether you believe writer’s block exists or not (some people call it something else) the fact remains that sometimes when you sit down to write, the words don’t come. I’ve found a really interesting article with some writer’s thoughts on the subject over at RookieMag.com. The post is called Getting Unstuck: Writers’ thoughts on writer’s block.

There are some very cool names who contributed to that article, including Malcolm Gladwell and Joss Whedon among others. There’s a lot of great advice, encouragement and tough love there, and not all of it agrees. Which is awesome too! Something for everyone and every situation.

One of my favorite things had to do with being kind to yourself, as I’m trying to do more of that these days.

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“Julie Klausner says…”

Writer’s block isn’t magically ordained, or sent down as a decree from God or whatever. It’s not external—you’re the only one doing the blocking! So please try to be gentle to yourself. Being hard on yourself is the #1 cause of misery and wasted time and keeping yourself back. I’ve never heard of anybody who’s bullied themselves into being more prolific or successful.

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If you enjoy the article and would like some creative inspiration for fiction writing, you can pick up a free fiction idea guide here:

Creation Inspiration: An Idea Book for Fiction Writers

Much Happiness and Success!