how I nourish my mind when I need a break…

Every once in a while, when I went with my family to the cinema as a kid, we would watch a movie that felt so completely original and like nothing in existence. The movie wouldn’t follow any kind of format or pattern, leaving you on the edge of your seat having no idea where you would be taken next. The characters felt tangible and didn’t act like shadows of other protagonists or antagonists. Somehow, the story was new, but parts of it were so true that it was as if they had existed for centuries. As if you had known all the characters in a past life. Looking back, these nights at the cinema are what I now realize were what made me fall in love with film, writing, and storytelling to begin with.

As any writer might understand, “original” ideas are somewhat of a myth, and are often the kind that come to us out of the blue, when we are least expecting them to. This is why I will never be caught dead without a writing utensil of some kind and notebook or scrap of paper on my person. Inspiration strikes when our mind and body are ready to explore it. We are often doing something completely outside of writing, when BAM! an idea hits us. Subconsciously, I think our best ideas linger in our mind, biding their time until we are ready, not just to hear them, but to listen. What is meant for us won’t pass us by. Sometimes, I push through and write regardless. If I’m lucky, I’ll find a gem or two, which will satisfy my craving for a time, but really, it’s the act of NOT writing that I know will likely bring me to what I want to say next.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned throughout my writing process, regardless of what I am attempting to write, is that no matter how clear an idea is in your mind, and no matter how quickly you want to get every microscopic thought and detail down on the page, time is your greatest tool. As annoying as it sounds, allowing your ideas space to breath is what gives them life. When I am stuck, I force myself to step away and trust that my next move is just around the corner. That I have yet to experience whatever will help the missing piece fall into place.

If you’re reading this as a writer, I’m sure we share the same frustration. The frustration of having to step away from something we love, especially when the motivation strikes, but the inspiration doesn’t. It can feel like your mind and body are betraying you. But I think if we can trust ourselves enough to form thoughts into words, then we can let our ideas brew for just a little bit longer and trust that we’ll find our way back to them when we’re ready.

When I experience a bump in the road and need to escape, I like to think I have built somewhat of a routine, or list of activities that help me want to create again. Allowing yourself grace and enough space is sometimes exactly what you need to fall back in love with something. This list consists of a lot of “academic” activities, and so for that reason I fondly call the list “how to nourish your mind.” No list of mine is ever complete, so I’m sure I’ll find new things to add, but I highly encourage you to try one of these out for a spin the next time you’re in a rut, and start your own list if you don’t have one already!

1.) Actively write down new vocabulary from the books and articles you read, tv shows and movies you watch, music and podcasts you listen to, and people you meet. Keep these words and phrases in a little notebook and routinely look up the definitions (preferably in a paper dictionary if you have one) and write them down. Start using them in your own writing and daily speech if you can.

2.) Start keeping a “column diary” in which you write a magazine-style article about your day, no matter how boring or eventful. I have found this practice has helped me improve my voice as a writer, and the exercise has become another fun way to journal and find inspiration and joy in the little things.

3.) Wander around a new neighborhood and let yourself get lost without checking your phone for directions. Look at the apartment buildings. Stop into a local shop or café. Sit in a park.

4.) Re-read one of your favorite books and annotate the pages and underline your favorite passages, sentences, and words, as if you have to write an entire thesis on it. You can do the same with your favorite tv show or movie. Write down your favorite quotes and moments, and write some paragraphs analyzing them.

5.) Listen to a podcast about a topic you know nothing about and take notes. I find learning new topics a bit easier to digest in shorter-form content rather than a bigger commitment like a book or series. Nothing so short as a TikTok video, but podcasts are usually contained to an hour or so which is the perfect amount of time to introduce yourself to a new topic while you’re running errands, cleaning the house, out for a walk, etc. If you find yourself more invested in the topic, you can continue with bigger commitments, but a podcast gives you a good jumping off point.

6.) Cook a dish you have never tried before and follow a recipe (preferably out of a cook book, but online works as well!) I just love how over time, cook books become soft and the pages turn a bit yellow. Salt and flour fall between the pages, which now smell of sweet sugar and cinnamon.

7.) Listen to an album top to bottom and take notes on your favorite lyrics and melodies. Later, take your notes and reflect on what the album means to you.

8.) Write some letters or postcards to loved ones who live far away.

That completes my list… for now. I hope you gained a bit of inspiration in reading this, and I hope you try some of these things out and/or start a list of your own to come back to. The world can be tough on creatives, but we must remember to protect ourselves and know that we are more capable than we often believe.

ciao,

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