A solution for creative brainfreeze
✨ Today’s tip: To get out of a brainstorming rut, type out someone else’s words.
When you’re staring down a blank screen, the first step isn’t to get the ideas flowing. That’s setting the bar too high. You just need to get the words flowing.
In her roundup of ways to feel more inspired in the next 10 minutes, Forge senior editor Amy Shearn points to a trick used by authors from Ernest Hemingway to Medium writer Ryan Holiday: Write down something that’s already been written.
“Sometimes writer’s block is a problem of muscle memory,” Shearn explains. “Try typing out someone else’s words. It will remind your fingers how to transmit great ideas.” Your favorite song lyrics. A transcript of your most recent text conversation. That chunk of the Gettysburg Address you had to memorize in middle school. The content doesn’t matter — the important part is that it gets you to build the momentum of putting words on a page.
✍️ We want to hear from you. Send us an email at forge@medium.com and tell us about how you find ideas when you’re feeling stuck. We may feature some of our favorite answers on Forge’s Instagram.
📚 More from Forge on coming up with new ideas:
The Key to My Creativity Is This Weird Note-Taking System
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Keep a ‘Spark File’ to Brainstorm With Past Versions of Yourself
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The Incredible Creative Power of the Index Card
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