How do you stay creative

[Glen]

I liked this list of ways to stay creative. Nos. 24 & 33 being my favourites.

Which are your favourties, and what else do you do to stay creative?

http://www.theworldsbestever.com/201...stay-creative/

[hopewrites]

24 and 25.
I got the idea for the third episode of Hope's Kitchen Adventures misreading the ingredients list on some new jerky i tried.
thought it said Mortified cornstarch.

[Warren_Paul]

The ones that work for me are:

#3 - Most of the ideas we get come from experiements, or from just writing something - anything. I often only have a general idea of where I want to go with a certain scene, the rest comes to me when I start writing. And I just do that. I think about the idea, and free write based on it.

#6 - Confidence is a BIG one. Without it you are going to drown. Believe in yourself and the story will come together right.

#7 - You always come back with your mind refreshed after a break.

#9 - Tea is a necessity to my writing, it's also where I find the time for #7 - going to make the cuppa.

#32 - There is no point in writing it if you're not having fun - and you certainly don't think up half the ideas you do if you're struggling to enjoy the writing.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by hopewrites

Mortified cornstarch.

I'm not sure why, but that gave me the biggest gut-laugh I've had in a long while. It still cracks me up - I'll have to stop reading it.

And Warren P - Tea. I couldn't quite figure that one out, unless being hopped up on caffeine is good for creativity. It won't harm to try - more tea please, vicar!

[hopewrites]

a good chi helps me bring open my creative space by helping me calm all that other space down.

yeah, i couldnt stop laughing ether, and every time i go to try and write i get hug up on "what would mortify cornstarch? something breaking up, because it makes things globulate" then i start to wonder if globulate is a word i can use, or would that very description be what mortifies the cornstarch. I know i would be mortified to learn i had globulated, but i'm not starchy (though i must admit to being very corny)

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

High fat foods before going to bed, video games and soda, and zoning out at will to whatever my family has to say to me.


Oh, and time alone. Lots and lots of time alone. That is crucial. I'm never on Earth.

[RJM Corbet]

Originally Posted by Glen

... what else do you do to stay creative? ...

Suffer?

It's not on there ...

[Weird Era]

19- I interpreted this as either in real life terms, as in visiting a place you've yet to go to, or in literary terms, as in doing/exploring something you have yet to try. I think variety always keeps us creative.

25- I think with writing, a lot of it is writing what you want to write/ read, and that way you can indeed be more creative. If what you're writing is'nt actually what you really want to write, your ideas will never be as good, i think.

30- I've often had the problem of ideas coming to me, then dissapearing as I've not put them down onto paper. So, maybe this one doesnt help you be more creative, as such, but instead helps keep track of your creativity and organise it, leading to better developing of it.

I thought those ones kind of worked for me.

[allmywires]

Originally Posted by Weird Era

30- I've often had the problem of ideas coming to me, then dissapearing as I've not put them down onto paper. So, maybe this one doesnt help you be more creative, as such, but instead helps keep track of your creativity and organise it, leading to better developing of it.

Blasted dreams, always solving my plotholes for me before I can note down what exactly it was!

For me, I'd say 6, 14, 15, 18, 29. I'm so harsh on myself, and I used to always write with the mindset 'What would a publisher think of what I'm writing?' Then I gave up and started to write a story I really wanted to tell. And I absolutely adore feedback (of all shapes and sizes) and talking to people about my work (without making myself sound like a crazy weirdo). The last book I finished was pretty much solely because my friend and I would have intense discussions about it during breaks most days, I'd make notes and go write it in the evening.

Not necessarily what keeps me creative, but what keeps me going.

[Sapheron]

I don't stay creative all the time. I don't see how anyone could. Long periods of hibernation are followed by seasons of rapid activity in the limited time before the next creative winter.

[AnyaKimlin]

3, Try freewriting; 12, Be open; 10, Know your roots; 24, Break rules; 27, Read a page of the dictionary.

These stood out to me as things I do which help with my storytelling - the freewriting or internet livewriting is wonderful for sparking thoughts. Being open to the surroundings and asking questions are where my stories come from. Knowing my roots and understanding my place in the universe helps to subvert it. And I am very greatful for my dictionary/thesaurus reading habits as a child. Reading baby name books as well has given me an edge. Studying archaeology helps with structure.


Number one thing for me though is asking what ifs about everything.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Stay as healthy as you can, mentally and physically. It is more difficult to be creative when body and mind are being drained by physical problems you could have avoided.

[Glitch]

I find reading news stories helps. Pick up on some details and research them further.

[I, Brian]

How do you stay creative? By pushing yourself, constantly.

[Phyrebrat]

Okay, this is probably going to elicit some bemusement, but font choice works well for me.

I write in Times New Roman, simply because that is what most of the books I have are written in, but when I am drafting ideas, I go to http://www.dafont.com and look through their freebies and it gets my creative glands secreting.

I then set the title (working, or final) in the font that has appealed to me and get writing. It's like some contemporary version of scrying, I think.

pH