Discover a Few Simple Ways to Release Your Creative Potential

Are you one of those people who would like to discover their creative potential but don’t know how to get started? Do you feel like you are not good or talented enough to express yourself through writing? And are you convinced that creative writing is just for a selected few, who are endowed with exceptional skills and charisma? Rest assured that this is not the case.

First of all, let me quickly remind you why writing is important. Writing is a challenging and intellectually-stimulating activity that can fuel your mind and intensify your appreciation for life. It allows you to explore your inner world, shed your inhibitions, and learn more about yourself. If you start writing, you may discover certain aspects of your personality you never thought you had. Even if you never get published, you will derive a great deal of satisfaction from expressing yourself creatively and describing your thoughts, emotions, or deepest concerns. Now, if you are serious about embarking on your new creative journey, you may follow some of my basic suggestions below. Hopefully, they will guide you in the right direction and help you get your creative juices flowing.

1. Keep on Practicing.

If you are serious about writing, I strongly recommend that you keep your “writing muscles” flexed at all times. Leaving it for a day can lead to several days or weeks, until suddenly, months have passed and you are horribly out of shape. You should maintain momentum if you want to see some progress. Set yourself a time of 15 or 20 minutes, or even an hour, and just write. Get in action and keep your hand moving without worrying about the outcome. You may start with “I remember when…” or “I want to tell you about…”

2. Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway.

There will be times when you will have to force yourself to write. You will just sit there, feeling discouraged and bored, thinking that you don’t really have what it takes to write. You think that successful writers never experience a sense of insecurity or fear? You probably assume that writers who are getting their books published and making a good living, always approach their desks with a great deal of enthusiasm and are always brimming with wonderful ideas. Nothing could be further from the truth…In fact, some very good writers occasionally experience self-doubts and do not sit down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. But they do what they have to do despite their fears, and eventually get it done.

3. Write a Really Bad First Draft.

No, I am not kidding here. Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. Hey, you need to start somewhere, right? I suggest that you start by getting something – anything - down on paper, then edit, refine, improve or re-write certain parts. By the way, later on you may discover something great in those three crazy pages. There may be something in the last paragraph or the very last sentence, something beautiful or wild, something that will point you in the right direction or give you some fresh ideas.

4. Organize Your Workplace.

Take a few moments to imagine your ideal workplace. Do you need silence or do you find it unbearable? Can you work at the kitchen table, while your children or grandchildren are running around the house? Or do you prefer sitting on the boardwalk bench, enjoying the view and letting your imagination run wild? You can also sit on your porch or terrace, or even check into the nearest Starbucks, where you can fully focus on your work.

5. Read Like a Writer

Make sure your schedule includes plenty of time for reading – particularly the type of material you like to write. Are you into love stories? Do you like inspirational literature? How about politics, nature or foreign cultures? What appeals most to you? Becoming a writer will change the way you read.

Last but not least – I have no doubt in my mind that you have talent and you have tremendous creative potential. But here is what I want you to keep in mind: You need considerable discipline to nurture your talent. Don’t be afraid to put down your ideas on paper, so that they won’t get lost. And don’t sell yourself too short - maybe what you’ve written will help or inspire others. Just keep on putting one word after the other, as they come to you. Enjoy the process and never give up!