This year I’m blogging my book De-Stress Your Writing Life. You can read it for free on Creativity’s Workshop every Friday.

De-Stress Your Writing Life is divided up into three main sections:

• Mindset
• Practice
• Follow-Through

Today’s post is the introduction to the first section – Mindset.

The act of creating begins in the mind.

The speck of an idea lodges in your Imagination, growing and growing until it blossoms into that ‘Aha!’ moment. Then it may take days, months or even years before the blossom matures into an end result – a piece of finished writing.

Because this is such a mental process, a clouded mind can easily inhibit its progress. Doubt can poison the soil before the idea germinates. Fear can choke the life out of the little plant. Then there’s the Inner Critic who is all too ready to lop off a bud before it ever reaches fruition.

Prolific and relaxed writers are those who have found ways around the barriers their minds throw at them.

They have practiced a mindset that allows them to:

• Make mistakes,
• Experiment,
• Permit stories to flow naturally,
• Only edit when necessary, and
• Release their work into the world without excessive attachments, so they can start writing afresh.

You too can accomplish this mindset! In this section we will look at all the different elements of a relaxed, motivated writer mindset – encompassing how you view yourself, your Creativity and your writing.

There is no rush or pressure to adopt a new way of thinking. As you read, notice which thoughts make you excited about your writing and which weigh you down, perhaps even hindering your ability to write. Take the time to do the exercises so you can find the best way to apply the suggestions in your circumstances. Gradually you can remove your mental barriers and free yourself to write whenever, wherever and however you wish.

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Have you noticed the effect your mindset has on your writing? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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Like most writers, I have to be frugal with my funds. So if you’ve enjoyed today’s post and would like to read more, I’d be grateful if you could leave a little in the kitty to help keep things afloat. Everyone who donates will receive a free electronic copy of the book once it has reached completion. Thanks for dropping by.