Blogging regularly is vital if you want to establish authority in your niche. Sure, you don't have to do it every day, or even every week. But if you only write new posts once in a blue moon it's very difficult to build momentum with your blog.
So there is substantial pressure to come up with new ideas regularly. If I am finding it hard to do so there are some "tricks" I use to beat writer's block and get the words flowing again. One of the most effective is to simply get up and go for a walk.
A change is as good as a rest
I think the reason this works so well is simply that having a break from an activity is a great way to refocus the mind generally. A change is as good as a rest, as the saying goes.
Then there's the invigorating effect of exercize out in the fresh air.
But there's a less obvious benefit that I think is still powerful. Specifically, this has to do with a change of scenery. As you walk along a path you may not be consciously focusing on your surroundings. But your brain is still recording them.
While you may be mulling over ideas consciously, perhaps even talking to yourself (I know that sounds a little weird, but I do it sometimes!) another part of your brain is dealing with the visual input. It's a very different combination than when you were just sitting in front of a blank screen trying to force yourself to write. I think this is what helps “kick-start” creativity.
Walk a different route each time
With this in mind I believe it's best to vary the route you take when you do go for walks. Not only does this spark creativity on a subliminal level but you often see things you've never noticed before such as landmarks, interesting buildings and evocative scenes and events.
Some of these may be so visually interesting that they actually provoke ideas for blog posts in themselves. That's why taking your camera with you is a good idea. Actually photographing some striking scene or object is worthwhile because you can reflect upon it later. And needless to say, you'll have the perfect image to include in the blog post that results from this process.
So there is substantial pressure to come up with new ideas regularly. If I am finding it hard to do so there are some "tricks" I use to beat writer's block and get the words flowing again. One of the most effective is to simply get up and go for a walk.
A change is as good as a rest
I think the reason this works so well is simply that having a break from an activity is a great way to refocus the mind generally. A change is as good as a rest, as the saying goes.
Then there's the invigorating effect of exercize out in the fresh air.
But there's a less obvious benefit that I think is still powerful. Specifically, this has to do with a change of scenery. As you walk along a path you may not be consciously focusing on your surroundings. But your brain is still recording them.
While you may be mulling over ideas consciously, perhaps even talking to yourself (I know that sounds a little weird, but I do it sometimes!) another part of your brain is dealing with the visual input. It's a very different combination than when you were just sitting in front of a blank screen trying to force yourself to write. I think this is what helps “kick-start” creativity.
Walk a different route each time
With this in mind I believe it's best to vary the route you take when you do go for walks. Not only does this spark creativity on a subliminal level but you often see things you've never noticed before such as landmarks, interesting buildings and evocative scenes and events.
Some of these may be so visually interesting that they actually provoke ideas for blog posts in themselves. That's why taking your camera with you is a good idea. Actually photographing some striking scene or object is worthwhile because you can reflect upon it later. And needless to say, you'll have the perfect image to include in the blog post that results from this process.
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