Cindy Vincent
The short answer? I take a shower. Yup, that's right. Whenever I get "stumped" while working on a project, a nice hot shower seems to get my brain cells clicking again. Probably because it's relaxing, and takes away the woes of the day, freeing up my creative side.
As for the long answer . . . Ever heard of Pavlov's dog? The famous experiment where he taught his dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, because the dog had learned to associate a bell ringing with being fed? Well, I use a similar process when it comes to writing. I stick to a pretty strict routine, and start each writing session by playing classical music while I play ten minutes of an online mystery game. Then I go directly into writing. I do this on all days, even on those days when the words flow freely. Then when I have a day where the little grey cells refuse to cooperate, the mere act of going through my routine, one that I associate with the process of writing, will usually stimulate the words to come forth once more. Besides that, I associate the mere sight of my desk and my office, as well as a certain time of day, with being creative. It may sound like a lot to go through, but it works!
As for the long answer . . . Ever heard of Pavlov's dog? The famous experiment where he taught his dog to salivate at the sound of a bell, because the dog had learned to associate a bell ringing with being fed? Well, I use a similar process when it comes to writing. I stick to a pretty strict routine, and start each writing session by playing classical music while I play ten minutes of an online mystery game. Then I go directly into writing. I do this on all days, even on those days when the words flow freely. Then when I have a day where the little grey cells refuse to cooperate, the mere act of going through my routine, one that I associate with the process of writing, will usually stimulate the words to come forth once more. Besides that, I associate the mere sight of my desk and my office, as well as a certain time of day, with being creative. It may sound like a lot to go through, but it works!
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