Any writer who has stared anxiously at a blank page or screen, or who is stuck in the middle of an uninspired writing project, has asked the same desperate question: How do you give your sluggish creativity a kick in the pants? At Writer’s Relief, we know that a few simple activities can shift your attitude and help you make the transition from your “uncreative now” to your creative future. Here are some of our best tips for waking up your muse and recharging your writing creativity.

How To Jump-Start Your Writing Creativity

What Is Creativity, Anyway?

Albert Einstein’s definition of creativity is succinct and priceless: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Now that’s genius!

Creativity lets you see something in a new way and communicate that experience or understanding. It’s the bridge between the creator and the audience—the writer and the reader.

Ideas That Will Help Boost Creativity

Draw On Inspiration: Get a blank piece of paper and draw while thinking about your writing project—or think about nothing at all. Creating art can help inspire you even in the pre-writing phase. It’s okay if you’re not an artist! This exercise will help you open your mind to a different form of communication and can stimulate your writing in surprising ways. Working with a different art form will distract your conscious mind and open up new channels of inquiry and creativity.

You might also try this drawing exercise: Quickly sketch something inspired by a simple phrase. You can use phrases like Here comes trouble, Time will tell, Opposites attract, and Getting out of hand. Choose one and start drawing!

Bring The Fun: Pursuing interests that energize you is another way to access creativity. When we enjoy what we’re doing, creativity naturally arises. Step away from your writing and do something else that you love—gardening, walking, reading, or painting—to unleash your essential creativity.

Sometimes doing nothing can be fun! Meditate to find the stillness within and release judgment and pressure. Thirty minutes of daily meditation can help sharpen your focus and cognitive flexibility. Remind yourself of the joys you find in writing. And relax! Your creativity is waiting to be awakened.

Be Brave! Try Something New: Sometimes being creative takes courage! It’s time to step outside your comfort zone. Try an escape room, take a class in medieval architecture, or if you’re really adventurous, go skydiving. The benefits of exploring outside your known experiences and history are endless. As you’re studying ancient history while whitewater kayaking, consider this: Years ago, scholars unearthed a trove of ancient scrolls in the desert that included one tiny scroll. Succinctly translated, the scroll advises: Courage plus curiosity = creativity.

Eliminate The Drag: Too much drag on a race car slows it down. And if the busywork of researching publishing markets for your short stories, essays, poems, or book is dragging you down, you’re going to feel sluggish and frustrated—not creative.

By delegating the tedious, business-oriented tasks of the submissions process, you’ll be able to free your mind and focus your energy on writing.

For more than twenty-six years, Writer’s Relief has been helping writers make targeted, effective submissions and boosting their odds of getting published. Our clients are thrilled when they can spend less time researching and more time being creative and writing: Just ask published author Lisa Leibow!

Let us help eliminate the drag that’s hampering your creative efforts. Submit your short prose, poetry, novel, or memoir to the Writer’s Relief Review Board today.

Question: How do you kick-start your creativity?