By WB Intern Megan Aune
The holidays can be a difficult time to nourish our creative pursuits. Your writing is a priority, but lots of things can get lost to the chaos of the season. If you’re hoping to start or continue a writing habit during this eventful time of year, keep reading for our best tips to help you succeed. We’re rooting for you!
Create a Ritual to Get You into the Headspace
With so much going on during the holidays, it’s difficult to keep our minds off all the tasks we need to do. Try experimenting with things that get you into the creative mindset and help you focus; this could be a favorite snack or drink, a spot you always sit in, a time of day, or a playlist you listen to each time you sit down to write. If it’s personal to you, and you make it a consistent part of your writing routine, it might begin to jumpstart the creative part of your brain before you’ve even set your hands to the keyboard.
Take Yourself Seriously
Though it’s not always easy, try to remember that your writing is an engagement, not an aside. It doesn’t have to be something you cram into spare moments throughout the day. Set boundaries, decide how much time you’d like to write (it can be anything from a few minutes to a couple of hours!) and enforce it. This might mean sharing with friends or family that you have designated writing time, or simply telling yourself that at a certain time you’re going to put down your phone, step away from your other tasks, and spend some time with your craft. This includes silencing those phone calls as well!
Listen to Audiobooks or Craft Podcasts
Productive time towards writing doesn’t always have to be spent on writing! Honing your craft through other means is also important, and listening to an audiobook or a podcast while you’re in the car or on a walk is still time put towards writing. Need some recommendations? Check out this blog post for some of our favorites!
Encourage Mutual Accountability
If you have friends who write or are trying to carve out time for other creative pursuits, communicating with each other can be a great source of motivation. While everyone’s situation is unique and we can’t always compare our own results to someone else’s, just knowing that others are also taking time in their busy lives for their craft can help you feel empowered to do the same. Seek inspiration from others! If you’re having trouble in this aspect of your literary life, try out our Courage to Create community and find like-minded writers of all stages.
Find Time for Self-Care
And last but certainly not least…carving out time for self-care is essential for avoiding fatigue. If the only time you’re able to sit down in a day is when you sit down to write, you’re bound to feel less creative and more drained than what is really conducive to a good writing session. Even if it’s only for a few minutes before you start writing, take some time to center and give yourself a much-earned break. You’re doing amazing, writers!
About the Author
Megan Aune is a recent University of Texas graduate with a BA in English and a certificate in Creative Writing. She currently works as a writing consultant at UT’s Writing Center. She loves working with stories and the writers who create them, and is looking forward to taking that passion into the publishing industry. In her spare time, Megan can be found reading (a lot), biking, baking, and exploring Austin’s coffee shops.