free writing

April 27, 2015 by Cynthia Morris 2 Comments

31 Benefits of Free-Writing

Perhaps you want to write. Your writing burns deep inside you. You know deep in your bones that you have something to say. Perhaps it’s a book that will help get your message out. Maybe your own personal story is burning a hole in your heart, just waiting to be told.

You may not even know what you want to write – you just feel…that…writing…urge.

But you ignore it. You do everything else first: From the big things: taking care of the kids and managing the daily operations of your business. To the small things: making sure your inbox is at zero or scrolling through Facebook.

I get it. We have all been guilty of postponing that thing that matters deeply to us. The small but persistent knowing that we have something to say is easy to drown out with the real and false demands on our time.

Sitting down to focus and get our writing out seems so big and daunting. We think we need a whole day to just get something out. Worse, we are afraid that when we do sit down, we won’t have any idea where to start or what to say. And what if something awful comes out?

I totally get all of these feelings. I have them myself and I see my clients and students process the same stuff. Luckily, I have a simple, fun and effective solution.

Since 2007, I’ve been leading a simple but powerful online class now called The Devoted Writer. For a month at a time, we all write for at least 15 minutes a day. It is awe-inspiring to watch all kinds of transformation unfold. I’m always blown away by how much can change from such a simple practice.

There are so many things that this writing method can do for any kind of writing – fiction, blogs, books, personal reflections. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of creative practices.

What’s even better, the benefits extend WAY beyond the page. It’s truly mind-blowing and heart-opening.I’ve been paying attention to the life-changing things writers in this class experience.

Here’s what writers reported consistent free-writing did for them.

Make a star next to the things you would like to experience now.
With consistent free-writing, we:
1. Release fear of what others think.
2. Easily find 15 minutes for writing every day.
3. Get out of our own way.
4. Make real progress on writing we can publish.
5. Finally have a reliable way to access and tell our truth.
6. Access inspiration, anytime, anywhere.
7. Develop and enjoy a consistent writing routine.
8. Appreciate that the time we spend on our writing as a gift we give to ourselves again and again.
9. Discover more about ourselves.
10. Release emotions that are holding us back.
11. Connect with a supportive writing tribe, finally.
12. Glean useful insights about our writing process.
13. Untangle sticky life issues.
14. Come back to our truth.
15. Recognize and claim our authentic voice
16. Play with new genres and styles.
17. Clear away the internal clutter preventing us from our good work.
18. Gain confidence.
19. Understand what’s truly important.
20. Make amends with the past.
21. Recognize new possibilities.
22. Eliminate distractions.
23. Build our butt-in-chair muscle.
24. Enjoy a daily no-calorie treat.
25. Become more courageous with our writing.
26. Extend that courage to the rest of life.
27. Learn how to show up even when it’s difficult.
28. Discover that we can create even when life gets busy.
29. Become more present to the simple wonders of the moment.
30. Finally befriend the inner critic so he no longer stifles our creativity.
31. Drop all expectations and just show up for our words.

Wow. I didn’t have to invent any of these gifts. These are all things that writers in my online writing class experience every single time. How many of these did you choose for yourself?

I want every single person who wants to write to have access to their creative powers like this.

Get my free guide on how to use prompts to write whatever you want here.

July 31, 2012 by Cynthia Morris Leave a Comment

Why You're Not Creating Like You Want

I recently polled my Impulses subscribers, asking what was blocking their creative satisfaction.
What do you think is the biggest thing lacking in people’s lives? Guess.

That’s right. Time.
Lack of time is the #1 obstacle people believe prevents them from creating. Is this your excuse too?
An excuse, not a real obstacle? Yes and no. There’s one way that we make ourselves victims of time. Read on and see if this is you.

Curb your time optimism

It’s a wonderful thing to be an optimist. Life is good, things always work out, we’re on the right path…we like these optimistic perspectives.
But when we extend our optimism to the clock, our positive perspective backfires on us.
We believe that we can do it all, that tasks take less time than they do, and that we can catch up later. Consequently, we book our days to bursting. Our schedules are crowded. We rush to keep up with all we’ve committed ourselves and our families to.
There’s no space. No space to rest, to relax, and to allow fresh solutions and insights to float in.
I believe you can reduce your time optimism and increase your satisfaction with your creativity.

Fifteen minutes a day

Start taking back your time with fifteen minutes each day. Before the day starts, in between errands, at the end of the day – wherever – insert some sanity space into your days.
In your space, do what you want. Perhaps you nap, read, write, play, stroll or meditate.
Do not use this 15 minutes to check your email, peruse Facebook or throw in another load of laundry. This is space to dream, be, refuel and inspire yourself. Not a space to tick items off your list.

It’s not easy to slow down and do nearly nothing, even for 15 minutes. But it’s vital. In the cracks between busyness we hear our wisdom.
When we put pen to paper or take a walk, we often hear the answer to the question that’s been puzzling us. We get to know ourselves in ways that are necessary to lead an empowered, authentic life.
Experiment with inserting 15 minutes into your days in August. In this space do whatever you want, but don’t try to get anything done.
If you’re not creating how you want, be honest with yourself: is your time optimism stealing your creative satisfaction?
What would 15 minutes of space a day do for your mood and happiness?
Who’s in? This is an informal challenge, and I’d love to hear if you decide to do it. Leave a comment below and let me know you’re putting space into your life for the sake of your creative sanity.

I’m doing the Free Write Fling in August. I don’t have an agenda for my writing time. I look forward to a daily dose of space for myself, where I can lie on a blanket in the park and rest with my notebook, or prop myself up on the couch midday to pen my 15 minutes away. I look forward to this space.
We start August 1st. Ah, sweet space! Do it with us!

January 31, 2011 by Cynthia Morris 5 Comments

Five (Nasty) Tricks to Make Writing Easier

Ah, the delightfully creative human psyche. We trick ourselves in all sorts of ways to do the things we actually want to do.

Try these powerful methods to get yourself to write that blog, book, or article you’ve always wanted to write:

Set yourself up on a caffeine drip.
Use ropes to tie yourself to the chair. You will get BIC – butt in chair – with this method!
Get your spouse to hold you hostage, locking you in a closet with your notebook and pen.
Deprive yourself of food until you do it. Nails two goals at once!
Call yourself names if you don’t do it. Namby-pamby, wannabe writer, loser…those are popular ones.

Have you tried any of these methods to overcome writer’s block? I bet they worked very well. The rope burns showed just how much you struggled to write that poem.
Obviously I’m being facetious here. Abuse and torture do not pave the high path to producing anything. And while caffeine is great for the illusion of brilliance, soon your adrenals are shot.
I’ve got a better way (and it’s fun and sexy too!): free writing.
I have worked with hundreds of writers using the free writing method as popularized by Natalie Goldberg. It works. Trust me.
Join me and your new writing tribe for the online Free Write Fling, which starts tomorrow. Or, if you’re feeling feisty, share your tricks for making yourself write in a comment below.