10 Daily Habits to Spark Your Creativity in Writing

Creativity makes an ordinary day into something special and full of possibility. Seeing your day through a creative lens doesn't require a big project or many materials. Instead, it means adding focus and possibility to your daily life, even in routine moments. You can cultivate and strengthen your sense of creativity in writing through the habits below. 

Habit #1: Morning Pages

Every morning, once you can keep your eyes open, write three pages of free-flowing thoughts to clear your mind. Some of it might be your to do list, worries about the future, excitement for upcoming plans, or exciting ideas for new writing or art projects.

Turn off your inner editor and your sensor. No one is reading this but you. Focus on quantity not quality and allow the pages to fill as you empty your mind. 

When you let go of negative thoughts and ignore your inner critic, you make room for new writing ideas. This helps your brain understand that there are no bad ideas. 

Writing Habit #2: Daily Reading

Every day read for at least ten to fifteen minutes of something inspiring, thought-provoking, or outside of your comfort zone. Regularly switch up genres and topics to keep yourself surprised, interested, and learning new concepts. 

Writing Habit #3: Set Aside Quiet Time

Spend ten to fifteen minutes a day either in meditation or mind wandering. Turn off the phone, stop the music, and put down the book.

Use this time to let your thoughts come up naturally. Don't just focus on taking in information or being productive. Allow them to come up gently, without any purpose or judgment.

Imagine expecting someone to constantly be doing something even when they're supposed to be relaxing. This is what it's like for your brain when you're constantly bringing in some kind of stimulus. Let your brain wander a little every day to truly give it a rest. 

Writing Habit #4: Capture Random Ideas

Either with a notebook or your phone's notes app, keep a running list of creative ideas. Even if you're certain you will remember it later it's best to be safe and write it down anyway! It's frustrating to try to recall an amazing idea just to realize you don't remember a single bit of it 

When your creativity is low or your motivation is lagging, review your ideas to see what inspired you! 

Writing Habit #5: Engage in a Creative Warm-Up

Either in the morning, before bed, or during lunch focus on a fun low-stakes creative activity like doodling, brainstorming writing prompts, or making a digital collage. This gets your brain ready for bigger projects later. 

Writing Habit #6: Learn Something New Every Day

For ten to twenty minutes each day explore a new skill, hobby, or concept. I love reading long-form articles about scientific concepts I usually wouldn't read entire books on. Learning new concepts can move your creativity into new avenues. 

Writing Habit #7: Limit Multitasking

Stop multitasking! It may seem impressive to do three or more things at once. However, your brain is struggling like a waiter with five hot plates during a busy time.

It's better to do ten minutes of focused creative work than it is to do thirty minutes of half-focused creative work. This goes for your job, doing chores, or running errands. 

Prioritizing creative focus allows you to reach a flow state even for a few minutes and communicates to yourself that this is something special and important.   

Writing Habit Habit #8: Change Your Scenery

When your creativity is waning take some time outside or in a new space. A change of scenery can boost your attention to small details and get open up your creative lens. 

Writing Habit #9: Collaborate or Share Ideas

Talk to others about your creative ideas. Circles on StoryForge is a great place for sharing your thoughts, questions, and ideas with other writers. You can gain new tips and perspectives and not feel so lonely in what can sometimes feel like a solitary process.   

Writing Habit #10: Reflect and Celebrate

End each day with a few minutes of reflection on creative moments in your day. Celebrate even the smallest things like finding a marble on the sidewalk and daydreaming about how it got there. 

Creativity thrives in consistency but that doesn't mean perfectionism or robotic repetition. Change things up, think outside the box, and push new ways you can be creative every day. Start small by adding a few new habits to your day and working up from there.

Which habit will you choose first? Let us know on socials or in our discord community!