Yesterday, I sat down to write my weekly newsletter to you, Reader, and it was...

Awful.

The words were stilted. My tone was obnoxious. The ideas were foggy.

It felt like sucking mud through a straw: difficult as hell and disgusting.

I spent 15 more minutes "writing through it" before I called it a day, shut the laptop, and took a bath.

Why? Because I'd reached a point of diminishing returns.

The more effort I used to force words out of my brain, the worse the writing became.

It's creative constipation: the more you push, the worse it gets. And you'll probably hurt yourself. 😳

I bet you can relate, Reader.

So what's a writer to do?

3 SIMPLE TRICKS FOR WHEN
YOU'RE BLOCKED & CAN'T WRITE

---

#1 – Move Your Body

You've heard it before: exercise is good for you!

It's also my #1 strategy for generating creative ideas and tapping into flow.

Specifically, repetitive exercise like walking, running, or biking stimulates the brain and creates lightbulb moments.

Science agrees. Exercise has been shown to enhance divergent and convergent thinking, which are necessary for creative ideas.

Blocked from writing? Try:

• Walking
• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Weightlifting
• Yoga
• Anything that pumps more blood to your beautiful, creative brain!

I (and science!) guarantee lightbulb moments. 💡
​

#2 – Shift Elements

You know the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Elements are universal tools for change.

Look at them at their most extreme: hurricanes, forest fires, earthquakes...

These are radical examples of how the elements transform the face of our planet. They are modes of creation, destruction, and state change.

The elements also create transformation on the micro level.

When you're feeling blocked, shift into a new element. Like this:

• Take a bath or shower
• Go swimming
• Light a fire in your hearth
• Sit in a sauna
• Hug a tree (really, try it)
• Weed your garden
• Feel the wind on your face

This is why lightbulb moments come in the shower. You shift elements and change your state of being.

If shifting the temperature from 33 degrees (F) to 32 degrees turns water into ice, what will an elemental shift do for your creativity?
​

#3 – Free Write / Brain Dump

Often, we're creatively constipated because we have too many ideas clogging our neural pathways.

The dog needs her teeth cleaned.
I need to renew my car registration.
Molly's birthday is on Saturday and I need to buy a gift.

Mental detritus. Open loops. Brain hangnails. Oh, my!

The clutter is clogging you up.

The best way to clear it out is to put pen to paper and brain dump.

Grab your journal and set a timer for 15-20 minutes.

While the timer is going, write whatever comes into your head.

Do not filter yourself. This isn't for publication. No one's going to see it.

The Two Rules of Free Writing:

1. Don't let your pen stop moving until the timer goes off.
2. Write by hand (if you're able).

If you can't think of anything, write: I'm blocked, I'm blocked, I'm blocked, until something new pops into your head.

Or Google "writing prompts" to find an exercise to get you moving.

I free write every morning. It's my daily vitamin for mental health and creativity.
​

Bonus Tip: Combine All Three for Maximum Flow!

This will get your juices flowing like the Colorado River.

Combining the exercises might look like:

1. Bike to the beach. (Move Your Body)
2. Dip your feet in the water and stare at the waves. (Shift Elements)
3. Free write in your journal for 20 minutes to the soundtrack of crashing waves. (Free Write)

A Saturday morning like that is a certified Roto-Rooter for blocked creative pipes.

Now, back to you, Reader.

Which one of these strategies will you try the next time you're creatively blocked?

Hit reply and share your thoughts. I read and respond to every email.

Write on,
Renee

---

PS – Here's the scientific source on creativity & exercise:
Colzato, Szapora, Pannekoek, & Hommel. (2013). "The impact of physical exercise on convergent and divergent thinking." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

PPS – Fun fact: the modern practice of free writing is credited to Dorothea Brande and her 1934 book, Becoming a Writer.

It was further popularized in the seventies by Peter Elbow and again in the nineties by Julia Cameron.

Personally, my favorite tips on free writing come from Natalie Goldberg in her book, Writing Down the Bones.

PPPS – Do you have a favorite writing exercise to get unblocked? Hit reply and share your tips.