how meditation can improve creativity for writers
Meditation has been around for centuries and until about twenty years ago, was primarily considered an Eastern form of stress reduction, philosophy, and/or prayer. As Westerners began to adopt meditation into the mainstream, a wealth of scientific research has been conducted regarding its benefits.
From alleviating stress to lowering blood pressure, meditation is well regarded as providing a myriad of benefits. Companies like Google, Target, and Goldman Sachs have embraced mindfulness and meditation, offering free workshops to their employees and encouraging regular practice.
For writers who get stuck on a particular project, are having difficulty generating new ideas, or are experiencing anxiety about having their work reviewed, meditation can be immensely beneficial.
How Can Meditation Help Writers?
According to author Danny Penman, in his book Mindfulness for Creativity, meditation enhances three primary skills, all of which are crucial to producing great writing.
1. Increases idea generation and the quality and usefulness of those ideas
It can be difficult to generate fresh ideas when a writer stays within the same genre. Imagine writing 10 romance novels and having to come up with an original “meet-cute,” it can be difficult at best. Meditation helps generate novel ideas that might not otherwise be accessible on the day-to-day hamster wheel.
Writers who are lucky enough not to struggle with birthing ideas may have an equally challenging problem, determining which ideas will be effective and which ones are throwaways. Meditation helps to clear the cobwebs and highlight the best ideas for a particular project.
2. Improves attention and focus
Meditation allows a place for the stress and noise to drain out, allowing for a greater attention span and better focus. Meditation has a cumulative effect. The more you do it, the better the results and the longer-lasting the benefits.
3. Nurtures courage and resilience
Writers (as well as humans in general) are constantly battling self-doubt, criticism, fear, anxiety, skepticism, and more. Meditation brings us back to the safe space within us, fostering self-love and the inner wisdom that everything is going to be okay – even if the road ahead will be tough.
“So, when you’re thinking about creativity, it comes from a source – an inner source. When you’re meditating, you’re bringing your consciousness to that centered source of creativity and intelligence. It’s the best way to tap into creativity.” — Tosin Abasi, musician
This Sounds Like a Bunch of Granola Loving Nonsense
I hear you. I was skeptical too. When I first started practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM), I struggled to find the benefits, that was, until I was in labor. When put to the test, I realized how valuable it truly was.
The most important thing to remember is, you have to find the right method that works for you and also accept certain meditations will work better at different times. Currently, I find guided meditation enormously helpful and most efficient for unleashing my creativity.
I go in with an intention, a question, and I leave with an answer. The answer might come immediately, later in the day, or appear in a dream. Have patience and keep experimenting until you find something that works for you.
There is a common misconception that there is a pagan or religious aspect to meditation, but the truth is, meditation is simply an exercise for the mind. While some guided meditations might incorporate spiritual aspects, you can certainly find an abundance of those that don’t.
I’m New to Meditation, Where Do I Begin?
Begin small. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when learning a new skill and think you have to do it exactly as prescribed. As far as I’m concerned, every little bit counts, so if you can only sit still for 10 minutes instead of 20, great, you just meditated. If you can only meditate on the weekends, great, you found a time that works for you.
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is supposed to be the easiest form of meditation. Though I enjoy this practice at times and have found it helpful during high-stress periods (when flying), other forms of meditation work better for me in regards to sparking creativity. However, many people find TM highly beneficial for creativity and relaxation.
Celebrities such as the Beatles, Ellen DeGeneres, Jerry Seinfeld and more, are big proponents of this form of meditation. For those who have attempted other forms of meditation and have been unsuccessful, TM is a great option.
Check out the TM website here to find a local or online practitioner who can train you in this method. It typically requires two sessions with a practitioner before you are able to successfully practice on your own. For optimal results, it is recommended to meditate twice daily for twenty minutes each.
Guided Meditations
There are countless YouTube videos dedicated to guided meditations and they’re free. If you are unsure of which method to try first, YouTube is a great choice as it’s noncommittal and doesn’t require you to schedule a session.
I gravitate towards meditations with British voices (to my husband’s chagrin), of which I will provide some links to at the bottom. I do like spirit-guide work, so if that offends you in any way, you can skip those and try the more neutral meditations.
Movement Meditations
If you have ever been a runner or a competitive athlete, you may be familiar with the feeling of “being in the zone.” All of a sudden, the peripheral drops away and you have immense focus and determination, this is very similar to the free-flow state of meditation.
Movement meditations can include running on a treadmill, taking a walk outside, rock climbing, or whatever you fancy. The trick to making it a meditation is to have an intention going into the exercise.
So, let’s say walking is your preference, have a question or intention in mind as you walk. You don’t have to perseverate on it but think of it as a larger container for your thoughts to flow through. As your mind wanders, gently bring yourself back to your intention.
“There is no good or bad meditation — there is simply awareness or non-awareness. To begin with, we get distracted a lot. Over time, we get distracted less. Be gentle with your approach, be patient with the mind, and be kind to yourself along the way.” -Andy Puddicombe, Headspace co-founder
Conclusion
There are so many distractions in our modern world it can be difficult to conceive of having the time to meditate. However, meditation actually makes life more efficient, and devoting time to it often eliminates much of the extraneous. One of my favorite quotes is from a meditation guru I met randomly who said to me, “If you are having trouble finding time to meditate, you need to meditate more.”
However you decide to meditate, and for however long, meditation will improve your writing if you are patient with yourself as well as the process.
Links and Meditation Apps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qun9Hyj0hvA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVYtm2aAr8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSqEYFsF3w8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXrkP_z2wG4&t=33s
https://www.calm.com
https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app
