You'd think that after 85 days of writing I would have it down. But even I still find it hard to write some days.
I have various methods that I employ when I'm not feeling the writing vibes including jumping into a book or an article that will undoubtedly create the spark I need. Or sitting with my Zettelkasten notes and wandering around until my brain is fired up and ready to go.
But my favourite method for getting new ideas flowing is to simply go for a walk.
There's something about a walk that gets the ideas percolating again. It gives your mind time to breath, time to simmer, time to remix and wonderful things start to bubble to the surface. I don't know if it's the act of movement and blood pumping back through your body, or the crisp cool air, or just the fact that your eyes are free to view wide-open spaces rather than locked into that 13-inch Macbook Air screen you've been staring at all day.
But there is something magical about a walk.
My evening walks have become somewhat of a ritual for me. After a long day of sitting in front of the computer, I leave my headphones at home and go for a wander down the main street. I grab a bottle of wine and some things for dinner and then I take the long way home.
Without any inputs like music or podcasts or ebooks, it gives my mind some breathing space and in an act of total defiance, it goes and does its best work. Processing what happened throughout the days, connecting new ideas, and undoubtedly some random idea surfaces.
Then I go home, sit back down at the computer and bang away on those keys till I'm hitting publish.