I’m talking about blogging, people.
Your C-Spot is your creativity spot, your happy place, where you feel your flow, mojo, juices, ideas, you get the picture.
Sometimes it feels as though great writing is like lightning in a bottle–fleeting and electric. But I think you can do some specific things to capture the lightning.
This is our homework assignment for the coming week.
Step One – Find the Perfect Time of Day to Create
Let’s use a sample writing prompt (in case you need one). Write for 30 minutes on the subject of “what I learned from my first job that I’m still using today.” Liz has written some inspiration for finding your writing voice. When you’re ready:
- Day 1, write first thing in the morning, right after you eat breakfast.
- Day 2, write in the afternoon, after you’ve already gotten your non-writing tasks done.
- Day 3, write just before bedtime, when it gets quiet in your house.
- BONUS Day, if you normally write during the week, try a weekend (or vice versa).
Take note of how your “flow” feels in each time-frame. Was it easy to write, or did you stare at the screen for a bit?
Step Two – Find the Perfect Physical Location to Create
Using the same writing prompt (substitute your second job), choose three different locations where you can write. Try your dining room table, your desk at work, in bed with your laptop, out on the porch, wherever you feel comfortable.
Did this affect your writing?
Step Three – Add Ambiance for Creative Flow
Some people need to have music playing in the background, and some need to write in absolute silence. Using what you already know about your style, experiment a bit with your writing environment. Light candles, turn the TV off or on, put on noise-canceling headphones, try writing with pen and paper instead of a keyboard…go crazy.
How did that work? Did changing the ambiance change your attitude? Did it spark new ideas?
At the end of the experiment, you can try mixing and matching your time of day, physical location, and ambiance to find your perfect “C-Spot.”
Want to share yours?
Image: Flickr CC
