📓Short (10-15 min) Creative Exercises for When You're Not Feeling Creative📓
Hello from the hectic side of my life this week! At my work, I have been organizing two big events that are coming up next week and the week after. With that said, I have had a very low margin for writing.
In times like these, I have to fit creativity and writing into my life in small ways. Here are some small exercises that I like to do personally when I’m feeling drained and a few that I recommend to my students when they have a creative block!
Short (10-15 min) Creative Exercises for When You're Not Feeling Creative
1. Take a walk.
Creativity and writing doesn’t always look like sitting in front of a computer for hours. You’d be surprised how much a short walk can do for your creativity! It is often in quiet, contemplative moments that an idea will strike.
2. Journal.
Whenever I feel like there is a lot going on in my head and I can’t seem to focus on anything, venting all my thoughts and feelings on paper really helps! I have been journaling since I was a kid, and sometimes I will read through old journals when I am looking for ideas.
3. Read and research in your field/topic.
Sometimes when I am feeling really drained, but I still want to make progress on my novel, I will do reading that relates to what I’m writing. I most often read an instructional book on writing or a book on the medieval time period (because I’m writing a medieval-inspired fantasy). Or I will go down a Google search trail and lose myself in the weeds of websites! 😄
4. Switch up your creative outlet.
Switching up how you express your creativity can open your mind up to new possibilities! Depending on your interests and talents, you could try different avenues to explore your creativity.
Try some of the following creative avenues to help your writing:
Paint or draw your main character.
Create a playlist for your main character.
Paint or draw a setting in your story.
Create a photo collage for your story.
Create a recipe for a meal your character might eat and make it.
5. Set a timer and write in response to a prompt.
My students love writing in response to a fun prompt! I often throw up a random writing prompt on the board and set a timer for 10 mins. Some of their best story ideas come from something they wrote for a prompt!
Here are some of my favorite prompt websites:
Having creativity in your life doesn’t have to look a certain way. Incorporating small activities like these can add a lot of value and diversity to your weekly routine! I hope some of those ideas were beneficial to you. 😊