This post is the 26th post in the Blogging For Hippo series but this isn't the 26th post I've written. It's actually the 30th. And that's because over the past month I've had a few days where I had a lot of creative energy and when it hits I take advantage of it. I can't tell you what works for other people but I can tell you that all my best work gets done in spurts and you need to maximize those spurts to get your real work done.
Give Yourself Space
I'm on vacation today so I took an hour long walk to a coffee shop which was good to stretch my legs, good to get my thoughts flowing, and a perfect time to absorb information from a podcast or audiobook. I blogged about this earlier this month but I think it's really important you give yourself space. The space I gave myself this morning put me in the right state of mind to write this.
Let Your Creativity Flow
Once you start getting away from all the day to day routine items you can actually start to think. Let your creativity pour out. When I'm writing posts I usually start with a title, then I write the content, and then I almost always have to change the title. I usually have a rough idea what I want to talk about but I wont know until I start typing.
Write drunk edit sober
Don't be afraid of this. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to get out of your own way. Being creative isn't about trying hard it's about letting go of the expectations and just doing. Sometimes it's crap and that's ok. Let yourself be honest, open, and expressive and then before pressing that publish button feel free to make adjustments. Edit the work, break it into multiple pieces, add a preface, clear up confusion, and even save it for another day. The point is to be open. If you shut down ideas before they have a chance to breathe you won't create anything.
Apply Yourself
One of the best things I've learned working from home is that work hours are a waste of time. Work until your work is done. Feel free to quit one day at 3 and then work late the next day until 7. The hours themselves don't matter. What matters is getting the work done. When I have an idea in my brain I get it down. It doesn't matter if it's in a blog post, a google doc, an evernote note, or an email. It doesn't really matter how it gets done but I hit it hard when I get the idea.
We have so few real breaks in life, so few chances for you to be creative. When inspiration hits you in the head be ready to listen. If you ignore it it might not come back for a long time.