August 14

Freewriting

What is on your mind right now?

Actually, you may not evenknow. That’s often the case for profes-

sionals. In the flurry of activity and the myriad open loops you have yet to resolve, your mind is bouncing from thought to thought, and it can be easy to overlook the valuable creative patterns that are forming just beneath the surface of your conscious processing.

One very valuable tool that helps unlock those deeper thoughts is freewriting. This involves taking a dedicated amount of time—ten or fifteen minutes—to just write about whatever comes to mind. There is no editing, no forethought, and no intent of sharing your writing with others. The idea is to simply empty your mind on paper, then to see what’s there.

You will be quite surprised at the nuggets of insight, concerns, and hidden feelings that show up during your freewriting sessions. They are also likely to yield breakthroughs from time to time, especially if you engage in the practice consistently.

Schedule some time today, or this week, to freewrite. Put on paper whatever comes to mind, and don’t self-edit.

Taking a few minutes to let your mind wander through the written word can expose hidden creative insights.

QUESTION

Have you ever had an idea suddenly emerge in the midst of writing? How did it happen?