One of the hardest things for me in the early days of my writing and editing career was
being able to turn creativity on and off within the 9-5 workday. Before getting a
job that required me to write, I had only written when I felt inspired. As a
teenager, I lived within walking distance of a beautiful beach and I used to go
down there during the summer with a notebook and pen and sit on the rocks. It
was easy to get inspired looking at Long Island Sound, feeling the sun on my
back and listening to the sound of the waves crashing and the seagulls cawing.
But when I got a job that required me to start writing at
any time of the day, in between meetings and answering the phone, it was hard
at first. But after a few failed attempts, I realized that as long as I have
something to write about I can write anytime, anywhere. After that, it became
easy to turn it on at 9 a.m. and turn it off at 5 p.m. All I needed was enough
material. And with several categories of industry I was responsible for, I
certainly had enough material.
Today, I have no problem being inspired to write. It doesn’t
matter where I am, what time it is, who I’m with or who’s missing. There’s
always something I want to say and I find myself coming up with blog ideas all the time and writing them down in emails or on pieces of paper.
If you struggle with being inspired, look around you. What
interests you or upsets you? What great childhood memories do you have that something reminded you of as you were driving or walking by it? Did you experience a good Samaritan recently and you want to share the story? Or is it simply the daily news you
are interested in? Perhaps an opinion on politics or a profile of a
family in your local town who lost their home to a fire?
The truth is, inspiration is all around you if you just look
for it. I recommend you keep a pen and paper with you at all times. Or use the 'note' or 'recorder' function of your cell phone to capture ideas throughout the day. Then in the evening, sit down and go through your ideas. Find one that you think you can cultivate and start writing.
You may decide just to keep these works for yourself. But maybe you've written something that you think is publish-worthy. Does it fit your local newspaper's requirements? Or perhaps you want to start your own blog. They're really easy. (I started this blog just by going to blogger.com.) You might even some day pull together into a short book.
But even if you don't publish, that shouldn't stop you from writing. If you are a writer by nature, then always write. It doesn't matter where or when, just keep the wheels turning and the juices flowing. You'll be surprised how easy it will become to turn it on and off whenever you need to.
Happy writing!
