The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Creativity Today Is To Get Outside

You can’t write unless you live too

I’ve been working for myself for the last 8 years. Being self-employed has ebbed and flowed, but I think some of the most consistent parts have included:

• Forgetting I can make my own schedule
• Being equal parts afraid and excited about working for myself
• My family not knowing what I do for a living

The first one happens to be the most detrimental to my creative process. Forgetting I can make my own schedule means I don’t get out to be creatively inspired. I forgo the coffee dates, the long walks, or the spontaneous car rides, because the box I’ve created around myself is too narrow.

Working for yourself is more work than you’re often given credit for, but it’s also a lot more flexible and fun than we allow it to be. Lately, better time and energy management have reintroduced me to flexibility in my work day. I’ve also been making activities that spark my creativity as much of a nonnegotiable as sitting down and writing.

Here’s a list of things I now allot more time for:

• Reading
• Taking long brainstorming walks
• Listening to podcasts