Well now here is a subject I can speak on with great authority. You see I am the hostess at a nonstop, dawn ‘til dusk talk-a-thon. It’s like a telethon except it doesn’t end until a large donation is made to a number of colleges. Imagine a place where people are talking at you from the moment your eyelids are pried open (oh, sorry, do you not have your own five-year old to literally help you with that task?) until those same eyelids involuntarily shutter your windows to the outside world long before your to-do’s of the day are done.
Some word crafters and artists have the luxury of leisure time and silence and to you I say – phooey. Actually, I would like to say: “Hey, have a spare bed somewhere to stash a fellow writer?” but that would most likely land me on some Facebook© list of bad mommies so I’ll stick around here, thanks. While you may not have a house full of chattering small folk, no doubt there are other forms of incessant chatter in your life. Work, friends, cell phones, computers, social commitments, and online chit chats. The list is really endless when it comes to things that create a constant buzz in our day.
Everyone who dabbles in putting words to paper has their own working style but at some point a little quiet time’s needed to let the ideas really float to the surface. Below are a few ways to dial down the noise and ramp up the creative output:
- Turn off the cell phone. I know, I know – this one is like telling you to catch a waterfall in a bucket. Impossible you say. But really, turning it off – not low, vibrate, or silent mode but actually OFF – for at least an hour can create some instant breathing room.
- Turn off the computer. With the exception of the file you need to craft your WIP just log out of all other websites – yes, even WordPress©. No cheating here – Facebook©, Pinterest©, and Google© will go on without you for a couple of hours.
- Leave. I don’t mean off to distance lands (although that would be fantastic!) but leave your usual creative area and try on someplace new that has less chatter. The library (see my earlier post on libraries for more info), a quiet park, or anyplace near you that you know won’t be filled with noisy interruptions. Enlist a spouse, partner, friend, or babysitter if you need help escaping without an entourage.
- Hide. Take some time to go “off the grid”. It can be minutes, hours, or *gasp* a whole day. Give yourself the opportunity to really listen to the words floating around in the quiet, the ones that sometimes get lost in the incessant chatter of our days.
It’s been a pleasure spending time with you this morning but now it’s time to squelch the chatter….
Fresh From My Desk 
Good, solid, sound advice. I do this a lot — going off the grid — and it’s the only way I can survive in today’s information laden society. 🙂 For our home phone, we keep the ringers off on the upstairs extensions. No need for them. And I take time away from technology a lot. Heading outside, going on blogging breaks — it’s good for the soul. And makes for more interesting writing when I return! I’ve also gone to the library to write (before I had kids) and it was great fun, to sit there in the quiet and create.
I like the phone idea =) A peaceful haven above the main floor.
I have been struggling to complete writing my theses for quite a long time and come to think about it now, these are exactly my problems.. it’s like you directly spoke it to me.. great advice!! we will see the result.
Thanks – have fun unplugging and letting your creative out! Wishing you well with your paper – that is an impressive undertaking. Keep my posted on how you do with turning everything off to turn the brain on =) Happy wanderings.
Warmly,
Laura