Is there an activity or hobby you use to help ideas flow?

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Nisha Ward
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Re: Is there an activity or hobby you use to help ideas flow?

Post by Nisha Ward »

I've found that doing something repetitive can help me to be more creative, but also just reading more. If I hit a block in my writing, I leave it alone for a while and pick up a book or a comic. Other than that, I think gardening helps me think about my creative work more. There's something about taking care of plants and coaxing new life out of the soil that just gets me thinking about new worlds and possibilities.
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Post by eastandalchemy »

Yoga, a quick walk in nature, gardening, playing with my animals (goats, chickens, etc.), or anything else that forces me to disconnect from my computer are my go-to's! Typically, ideas will start to flow again after only about 10 minutes, but I'll force myself to stay away for longer if possible. Meditation has been wildly helpful as well, but sometimes I need something more physical (if that makes sense) to get myself out of my head.
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Post by Nisha Ward »

I don't know. I usually just log off and watch some comedies. It helps me slow down and breathe long enough to think.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Post by clint_csperry-org »

I use a combination of hobbies. I like to hike and I love taking pictures. Putting the two together works very well. When I am writing I can draw on both the things I have experienced in the hikes and pull up the photos for the descriptive reminders I might need.
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Post by eastandalchemy »

dreamthewilderness wrote: 28 Nov 2018, 19:31 I love meandering walks for bringing on the creativity-inducing trance.

I've also found that spending some time writing out some stream-of-consciousness helps me to drain my brain of everything meaningless and banal when I know what I'm writing about, but can't find the words.
I'm a big believer in writing out stream-of-consciousness as well. One of my college professors recommended it before any big writing project, and I've found it helps loosen up my thoughts as well as giving me lots of new ideas. It also helps me when I'm struggling with motivation, writing out some stream of consciousness can be very therapeutic.
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Post by Inkroverts »

I like to unplug everything and walk by myself for a while. At first I was surprised how distracted I was and how much I can think about without the phone.
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Post by La Cabra »

CarmynnKayleen wrote: 29 Nov 2018, 14:39 I write to write....

It sounds silly, I guess, but for those who do it as well, it makes sense. If I need to start on a certain project, I sit down and do stream of consciousness writing to begin. It helps me to get the thoughts out of my head that are "in the way," and sometimes my ideas will stem from that stream as well. I also will remember the things that I need to do other than the project, and write them down so they are no longer at the forefront of my mind, but instead they are on paper. It helps me to just focus on what I need to do and also get ideas flowing.

I also do yoga to help ideas to flow, because it helps me with visualizing and putting me at peace.
Ok, are we the same person now? Because that's exactly what I do. I've made a good hobby to write down good ideas as they come. Because if I wait, I will 100% forget them. So I write them down and save them in my drive. When I want to write I re-visit those, and sometimes inspiration strikes and I can continue writing, other times, I read a bunch of them till I get new ideas and start writing those. Other times, I have nothing, so like you said, I just write aimlessly and that gets the ideas flowing.

A lot of people mentioned running/jogging/driving/exercising, but personally when I'm doing any of those, I can't get ahold of my thoughts at all!
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Post by Nedbrian »

I am of the opinion that watching movies related to the idea helps open the mind for writing. Whether I'm in need of the inspiration to write on A topic, I always search for movies related to that topic and watch them. Within few minutes of watching that movie, I already can see myself done with that write up. So for me, watching a movie opens up my inner mind for writing
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Post by Drakka Reader »

I find reading or listening to music, especially music that relates to my characters, helps me write.
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Post by Barbie_sidhu »

I go and sit at a public place with a pen and paper in my hand and just observe people and what they do or something that may give me some stuff to write about.
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Post by emidio125 »

I walk around the city or neighborhood. Normally ideas come from things that I see while wandering around.
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Post by bre2014 »

I get a lot of my ideas from watching tv and reading other books. If I need a break, I step away for awhile to focus on something else, then come back. Listening to music definitely helps
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Post by SaraHysaro »

I have to get something, anything, down in front of me before I can even consider doing anything else. A blank page will reflect itself onto my mind, holding my thought process hostage until I can at least get a little something going first. Once I do, however, a long walk tends to help. I might come back and replace absolutely everything I had written prior to that walk, but that initial notion is very important for me to get started.
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Post by FrostBytez »

I usually just browse the web for ideas or go out for a relaxing walk either in the forest or near the beach.
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Post by Casey Kowalewsky »

I visualize. I love to have a coffee then lay in bed with everything quiet around me. The caffeine is soothing and keeps my brain awake, and the quiet keeps distractions away. Then I "go" to the point I'm having trouble with, ask my questions, set the stage, and let my mind drift in that arena following whatever thread it wants. I usually come out with a deeper understanding of the atory/characters or a whole section of my story plotted in extreme detail. All I have to do is remember it and write it after that.
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