Don’t Wait for Inspiration to Strike
If you have regular writing rituals then you know that routine and rituals are great creativity tools if you put them to work for you. And the greatest ritual of all…? A daily writing routine.
The bricklayer who shows up each day, builds a wall. He knows that if he doesn’t show up, the wall doesn’t get built. Conversely, if he does show up to lay bricks each day, he makes steady and consistent progress.
Over time the bricks that become a wall, become a house. Similarly, the words that become a sentence… become a paragraph… become a chapter, to become a book over time, one day at a time.
Many writers wait for ideas to strike them before they sit down to write. If that’s you, congratulations on the inspiration that’s coming your way. Now it’s time to invoke it at will!
“To wait for inspiration to strike is like waiting to go to the gym once you’re slim and fit.”
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com ®
Table of Contents
- Don’t Wait for Inspiration to Strike
- Rituals are Signals that Invoke a Response
- Settings Can Be Rituals
- Habits that Beckon the Muse
- The Power of Habit
- Writing Rituals are Simply Habits
- Writing Rituals
- iCreateDaily Writing Rituals for Success
- Famous Writers’ Rituals
Audio Article – Writing Rituals
The maker makes, and in the process, the maker is made.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®
Rituals are Signals that Invoke a Response
One of the habits that helps set you up for success is the cultivation of rituals that signal to your psyche that “It’s time to create.” Associations invoke a response. Consider the fragrance of coffee in the morning, (if you’re a coffee drinker)… the fragrance of pumpkin spice in fall… the music from a favorite movie soundtrack that can transport you to your favorite screen world.
The establishing of rituals is powerful for calling the muse and cultivating focus.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®
Settings Can Be Rituals
Libraries and Bookstores – Settings for Inspiration
In libraries, it is the quiet hush and smell of books that lure us into holding a book in our hands to discover the secrets therein. I have years of fond memories of coffee shops and bookstores. The aroma of coffee brewing and an array of bistro tables and overstuffed cozy chairs beckoning you to banter with a friend or curl up with a book and a brew to read… to think… and to dream.
For many writers, coffee shops invoke the desire to write. There, surrounded by wonderful aromas and the bustle of other humans but without the direct interruptions of home, or sense of isolation, if you live alone.
Sports – Settings for Fun and Fervor
In sports, it is the raucous cheer of the fans rocking the stadium that carry us away in the fun and spirit of the game. For most in North America, that setting probably includes the smell of hotdogs and relish, hot pretzels and soda, or if you’re cheering your team from home, it may be beer and pizza.
Meditation – Settings for Aspiration and Invocation
Rituals that invoke calm and preparation for meditation can include incense, lighted candles, meditative music and chimes. Chanting, mantras or guided meditations also help to create a state of stillness that prepares the mind for transcendence.
Settings are sacred spaces that signal the muse that you’re ready to settle down and write.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®
Habits that Beckon the Muse
Discipline and Consistency
It’s really quite simple. No mystery… no secret. Writing rituals practiced consistently over time, become habits.
It’s what we’re all about here. Consistency is the foundation of the iCreateDaily site, brand, and community because it’s that powerful… that important… and that essential to your success.
It’s all about creating daily. Daily rituals establish a rhythm of progress that become a habit that strengthens every area of your life, because what works for one is then easily applied to another.
Write, daily, and your muse will come.
The simplest but most effective habit above all else is to write daily.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®
The Power of Habit
Rituals and settings are habits that beckon your muse. Habits make your daily den of doing a deliberate place and space that conjure her cooperation. With writing rituals practiced consistently over time you’ll find it easier to write at will, no matter when and where you may be.
As you become consistent in your writing, your muse will show up more often. When she knows she can trust you to be there, she’ll put you on speed dial. She may or may not listen to you, but chances are better if she can count on you to be present. The muse is like intuition; the more we listen to her the more she trusts us and sends our way.
The Muse needs a receptive audience for her cornucopia of creative ideas ready to spring to life.
When your daily discipline is established, your muse will be there waiting for you, sprinkling stardust ideas faster than you can write.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®
Writing Rituals are Simply Habits
In the early stages, the rituals are your training wheels. After awhile you’ll be able to glide along with or without them, without a second thought. Eventually the creator and muse merge and you carry her wherever you go and call upon her at will.
Productive habits hack away at the dross that doesn’t belong. You and your muse merge and what’s left is you, your keyboard, and access to the realm of ideas flowing freely from the vast cloud of creativity to your screen.
Are there other kinds of writing rituals you can employ to help you write? Absolutely! You choose the specific rituals that serve you most. What works for us may not be what works best for you.
Jeff Goins of GoinsWriter.com says:
“I can’t overestimate how important this is, to find a way to do something creative that works for you. I know writers who pray a prayer, who wear a lucky sweatshirt, who light a candle… artists who can only work in the middle of the night, who have to put on a suit and tie to go work in their home office just to feel professional.”
SOURCE: GoinsWriter.com
If you want to write a book someday, you need to start writing today.
~Jeff Goins, author, speaker, podcaster
Writing Rituals
Above all, as Jeff Goins said, first and foremost, you find and stick to what works for you. Beyond that, we’re sharing our favorite writing rituals as well as tips and rituals of some of our favorite well known writers.