Writing Tips – Creative Life Midwife

Your Next Writing Adventure:

January 25, 2021 by jjscreativelifemidwife Leave a Comment

What happens when you look at your writing as an adventure, rather than yet another item on your perpetually crowded to-do list?

This week my writing is definitely an adventure because – I know some of the “tasks” I am writing AND I am excited to know how that writing will impact people.

I write for the people who read my words more than I write for myself.

It is when I keep you – my readers – in mind all the storms that might wreak havoc on my adventure clear up and the words flow smoothly.

Have you ever thought of “writing” and “adventure” together?

Julie Jordan Scott is the Creator of the Radical Joy of Consistency Course which helps people practice consistency and completion daily in order to experience a more incredible life experience. She came to this conclusion after almost dying and coming back to true healing by writing 377 consecutive haiku… and a lot more along her way to building that streak! To find out more about this program, visit this link, here.

Habits, Practices & Routines: Conscious Intention Makes the Difference

December 12, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 2 Comments

woman writes into a notebook looking very happy to see the reader.

What if I told you consistency has the power to cause a dynamic shift in your life – one that will open you up more than any resolution ever has? Let’s try this on for a moment – or maybe I am only one tired of people talking about goals and 2021 as if this new year is going to suddenly cure all of 2020’s problems?

The beginning of the year is a natural time of year for many of us to assess and start fresh, leaving old thoughts and habits behind as the bright shiny new is on the horizon. Are you one of those, like me, who enjoys such assessment?

For years, morning writing consistently as Julia Cameron titles “Morning Pages” prescribes has been an ongoing tool for many for healing and growth. The problem is, Julia Cameron couples morning pages with the unpleasantly long seeming 3 pages of writing. What if your method of consistency was easier – say three lines of writing?

Morning Pages & Early Morning Journaling Causes Positive Shifts

Writing from the stream of consciousness strips away my opinions and thoughts in such a way to discover long held mis-beliefs and shortcomings in awareness.

Notebook, coffee and the candle is what creates the intention for the sacred. Where a writing habit becomes sacred.

I don’t preplan, I just write. This is also a method I teach – and one of the challenges seems to be actually writing with the flow. Many times people get bogged down in high school composition classes and work toward the beginning, middle and ending our one-time language arts teachers suggested.

Today the prompt was “Now is the new beginning” from my longtime friend, Adela. I obviously had some stuff on my mind that wanted to get out.

Sometimes, stream of consciousness (automatic, morning pages, journaling) writing looks like this

“Now is a new beginning and betrayal appears to be an unforgivable, the chopping block is the mind reality I march up to, full of conviction. Put those unforgiveables in the thought guillotine. Watch with glee as I chop off my ____ to spite my ________.

(In special honor of cutting off my pig snout nose in spite of my less pretty than most everyone face.)

“Who cares?” the interior bland girl says as she yawns. Oatmeal colored skin, hair, lips, eyes monochromatic woman I feel like when that mid-afternoon window/door slams all tht I love about me and cuts oatmeal-color-woman, other wise known as Ecru Comma, color evaporated.

Color evaporates. Part of me dies.

Repeat.

Open for the new awareness that comes with each new beginning, each revolution, rising.

Writing Rule Breaks Here: I stepped away to let time do its part in healing

Yesterday I decided my propensity to do better in the morning than in the afternoon and evening is just something about me I have to live with, no questions asked.

My belief sounded something like this: I am “worthless” after about 4 pm when all color evaporated from my experience and everything turned blah. I felt like sleeping at about 5 pm. I ate dinner in silence and watched the news. I was actually asleep by 8:30 pm.

This morning I woke up before 5 am and didn’t feel like getting up and I knew if I got up and started my daily practices I would feel better. At first I started with my norm – and then I thought, “What if I toss in some modifications?”

I haven’t been doing standard morning pages lately as three pages longhand without breaks was more oppressive than freeing, so I mixed in my skin care, water drinking, dressing, prepping my smoothie, meditation and stretching into my morning pages.

I added some quotes.

I took a writing prompt one of my friends wrote.

The most important a-ha came from my revolt against the norm.

I felt like Dorothy, right before she “returns” to Kansas

I am clearly the one who writes the rules for my daily practices.

I know intuitively that smaller chunks of morning time works best for my overall experience, so modifying what I have been doing with my historical 3 pages all at once helped me gain so much more than if I had forced myself to “power through.”

I also realize the energy drain may be due to not drinking enough water. Even this morning I realize my morning walking nets a lot of water and I taper down during the day.

My belief that I am a morning person may be more about my hydration and daily practices. I am now thinking about how to balance out my practices to other times of day. I do have a night time routine, but late afternoon is… empty. I have been walking on some days of the week but tend to see that as a chore more than a pleasure – so how to morph my belief and practice has the possibility of a growth unlike I’ve had in the past!

Hydration, an increase in conscious intention and no longer allowing other people’s rules or guidelines to hold power over my own intuitive knowing: all of these aspects of what I have been doing (and not doing) are worth exploring.

I feel more freedom now. It is noon and I am about to refill my water glass – and drink it. This afternoon I will meet up with a friend and feel my way into how to make my walks at the end of the day more pleasant so I may create a desire for more instead of a distaste, as if it is a punishment.

Update: it is 6 pm and none of the mid-afternoon malaise came over me.

Is it the intention of this morning’s practice or the plentiful water I have used as refreshment? We will try again tomorrow to get it better.

_ – – _ –_–_–_–_–_–_

I have created a guide to creating your 2021 word of the year. Free download available at this link here –

To JOIN Bridge to the New year, a facebook group where we meet year round as an accountability, creativity community, we also do twice a year deep reflections on our beliefs, progress and experience please visit here

If you are one who would love to find out the magic of consistency in a brand new way, I invite you to check out the One Small Shift program which starts soon. It isn’t just content, it is an experience in self-love with active, short bursts of creative process that will stick – all in a community of people who support your ambitions.

Last year I wrote a three line poem daily, this year I am hugging trees for 377 days in row. I had no idea how enriching this practice would be. Life changing, loving, visionary.

Two Fast, Easy Ways to Tell (or write) a Story

December 4, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 3 Comments

Today I went to a park just after sunrise to make some videos. I was aiming to make short, to the point videos to help people be better writers, speakers and storytellers.

Less than 60 Second Storytelling How To Video

I wasn’t expecting it to be so windy my sound would get messed up!

I went ahead and made a couple videos. When I got home, I assessed one I could use, another I would be better off rerecording because of the sound troubles.

What did I learn about storytelling and videos?

I still love making videos.

It is better to make a video and not use it than it was to not try at all.

I am even using a video that doesn’t have the best sound quality. Why? Because this will prove to other recovering perfectionists you can make different choices depending on the situation and the severity of the imperfection.

Bonus: I was able to repurpose a blog post from earlier in the week! If you didn’t see the blog post and enjoyed the very short video, here is a link to Monday’s blogpost, “Are You Ready to Tap Into Writing Inspiration?”

How magical is that?

And as long as we are sharing stories about videos, here is a special addition (and edition!) for the journalers among us today.

Do you make videos for your blog posts or social media posts?

What is your favorite part of telling stories on blogs or videos? We would love to know!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is JJS-2020-1.png

Julie JordanScott lives in Bakersfield, California in a house too small for quarantine life. She leads discussions on Zoom and is polishing her most recent memoir and some poetry for soon-to-be publication. If you would like her to speak to your group over ZOOM until travel is available again, she would be happy to talk to you about that OR maybe you are looking for a slightly quirky, very open hearted, compassionate and tender Creative Life Coach. She would love to speak with you soon.

Are You Ready to Tap into Writing Inspiration?

December 1, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 6 Comments

I’ve been a life and creativity coach for the greater part of the last two decades and one of the most common questions I hear about writing is “What can I write about that is interesting with my not so interesting life?”

Today, I have an answer exactly for you –

A woman, standing in the Kern River, looking to the sky for inspiration for her next story. Hint: it is easier than you think!

Some writing and storytelling myths to throw out first:

People’s most effective storytelling does NOT come from one huge, life shifting story.
Story telling and story writing are two entirely different experiences.
An ordinary life is a boring life.

Borrow a storytelling format from a remarkable leader in history

Do you recognize this phrase?

“I came, I saw, I conquered.” is a phrase attributed to Julius Caesar when he was speaking of a quick victory to the Roman Senate in the first century ACE. Oftentimes you will hear it quoted in the original Latin: “Veni, Vidi, Vici.”

Caesar was telling the senate in three Latin words and in six English words

I showed up
I took action
This was the result

This is absolutely the most simple format for storytelling you will ever come upon. From this basic roadmap, you can build any story you ever need to tell or write, whether it is the story of your life from birth until now, including your biggest triumph or tragedy or what you had for breakfast yesterday.

Let’s try your version of a Caesar story now.

You can do this about anything in your life. Try it now.

What happened. What you did. What was the result.

I woke up. I hit snooze. I was late to work AGAIN

I drank coffee. I perked up! I got my assignment done.

I took a walk. I saw an incredible Sweet Gum Tree! I hugged it and found deep peace.

HINT: before you become a naysayer or say “but wait, what’s next?” practice this, on its own, now.

Before you leave, share in the comments a very short story following Caesar’s format.

To inspire you further, here is what I am using for the next program I am creating.

Wake up. Bear Witness. Weave Your Story.

A couple December’s ago I made up this Caesar story:

Show up. Look up. Translate.

Before you leave, have fun practicing by sharing in the comments a very short story following Caesar’s format.

How would your writing productivity change if you received varied, niche driven writing prompts daily – also fiction, poetry, entrepreneur, copy writing and video prompts are offered, join the Private Word-Love Writing Community on Facebook by clicking here.

Julie JordanScott lives in Bakersfield, California in a house too small for quarantine life. Watch this space for a very important announcement regarding a brand new personal growth course and writing group beginning in January. Early registration starts at the end of the first week of December!

How Your Next Embodied Moment will lead to a More Fulfilling Life

October 28, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 3 Comments

How would your life change if you made the choice to open yourself fully to each moment as it happens?

Your first response might be “Don’t I do this right now?”

Maybe and maybe not.

Bombarded with distractions, all the time

We are constantly bombarded with distractions, most of which our mind filters automatically for us. Sometimes we are “playing with our kids” with our computer open and our phone in our hand and we are trying to get our partner’s attention. This isn’t very “in the moment.”

I know people who are distracted so much by a ticking clock they can’t focus on the conversation they are attempting to have with friends.

If you have that sort of sensitivity and you haven’t learned how to focus on the conversation, life becomes frustrating rather than fulfilling.

This goes beyond ticking clocks and flashing lights and startling smells that rise up and greet you as you are walking down your office hallways.

Your entire life experience will become better when you are 100% engaged in whatever you are doing at that moment. This is true no matter what you are doing: enjoying a concert, taking a walk, writing a blog post: the outcome is the same. Better results with better focus.

Embody the moment and rewards will follow.

Our experiences are better when we are fully immersed in whatever we are doing instead of sitting blankly scrolling on our phones, waiting for our boss to give us an inspiring assignment or checking the Netflix schedule praying something might capture our attention.

To experience full embodiment, we allow ourselves to be engaged with our senses as we are living that moment. Still not sure what I mean?

Here’s an example from my own life which could have been another boring everyday moment which instead, became not only sheer delight, it caused me to write a poem.

Ordinary coffee in an ordinary cup by an ordinary notebook or is it? When lifted to the lips and fully observed, embodiment occurs and a poem (or best seller) may be born.

Today I poured a usual cup of coffee into my favorite mug and sat down to drink it while I wrote social media content. Somewhere on the way from the coffee put to my seat here in the corner, I decided to make the experience one of embodiment: completely in touch with the tactile, sensory feelings within my body as I drank the coffee.

Coffee: Ordinary or Extraordinary?

Here is what happened when I allowed myself to be present to the experience of my lips and coffee.

I lower my head, as in prayer

Mug lifts to meet my lips, cold orange edge

rests on the soft yet firm shelf my lower lip offers

tongue meets lip from inside as coffee

pours forth, into my waiting mouth

slightly bitter warmth, pleasure for barely

a moment slides in and down and then

my throat opens and closes and satisfied,

my lips make way for the exhale, while

still heated slightly, while still cozy, while still

pleasantly plumped from the

liquid invocation of a new day

no matter what arises my lips

and I know. Coffee comes to visit

and temporarily makes all things perfect.

Coffee, writing and poetry are beyond the ordinary.

Rarely does my own poetry make me laugh, but this one did.

Embodied writing can be playful, deeply moving and sacred. It can be all three.

I may rework this poem but for now, I am sitting back admiring the moments I had drinking the coffee, taking notes while I drank, and now being brave and silly enough to share it with you here.

A Master Class in Embodiment and Your Richer Life, Right here

Last week I blogged about sharing ordinary moments as extraordinary. Today may be seen as the master’s course in the same subject.

Do me and your reading audience a favor: fully immerse yourself in any given ordinary moment. Take notes. And then write something from it, anything. I wrote a poem, you might write a sales letter. It doesn’t matter WHAT you write, it simply matters that you write this way.

FIND A SUPPORTIVE WRITING COMMUNITY in a Private FACEBOOK GROUP:

We look forward to writing with you!

So Much Better than Constant Drama, Drama, Drama!

October 21, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 3 Comments

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is recognizing the extraordinary in ordinary moments.

As I write this I am listening to an audio of rainfall in a library. I am sitrting in my Bakersfield living room “in real time” but I am listening to a recording that makes my heart so happy – and it is completely ordinary.

My coaching clients will often construct a desire or even a perceived need of a life reminiscent of a perpetual retreat experience – which would be very nice and for many of us is simply not where we are every day. Unfortunately, this also sets people up to be pretty miserable most of the time.

How to Discover the Joy in the Ordinary

One of the unusual ways I learned about the joy in the ordinary was through poetry, which many people believe contains a standard context of flowery, difficult to understand, “way above me” language and meaning.

Sunday someone said to me, “I don’t consider this poetry. This is clear and easy to understand writing, it isn’t poetry.”

Why not write about coffee, then, or sunrise?

Some of my best early poems that weren’t overly flowery or angsty were written about coffee. My first poem, in fact, was printed and carried by my love at the time. He enjoyed the poem that much. He may have liked his daily cup of coffee more, but it was a lesson to me that poetry didn’t always have to be about crisis or struggle or ecstatic experience, it can be quite effective when it is everyday and relatable.

This morning I was chuckling over a poem written more than three hundred years ago by John Dunne. We was writing about sunrise saying, “Busy, old fool, unruly sun.”

He was mad that the sun was shining in his window at an ungodly hour, waking him and creating chaos in his mind. “Busy old fool, unruly sun” is such fun, simple word play it is clear all these years later. Ordinary and extraordinary.

Ordinary: 365 Times a Year, Sunrise Happens

When I wrote my first coffee poem, I hadn’t discovered Billy Collins or Mary Oliver or even William Carlos Williams who wrote so effectively about eating the plums in his refrigerator and realized his wife may have had a different plan for the plums. (For reference, that poem is “This is Just to Say.”

This reality – that I could write poetry about coffee and an infinite ways to describe the sunrise – was quite a revelation. Poems don’t need to be written about angst or discomfort or romance.

As I wrote this blog post, I found a poem I wrote in 2010.

In the poem, I write of the sun thanking me for taking the time to unwrap her. 365 or 6 times every year she reappears, most often without note. Ordinary and extraordinary all at the same time.

Write Like Jerry Seinfeld: Ordinary worked for him!

Jerry Seinfeld made a career out of joking about nothing in particular and my favorite television show of my twenties was a show about nothing (and everything) called “thirtysomething” – back then I thought they were so mature, Elliot and Nancy, Michael and Hope and their daughter named Jane.

Writing of the ordinary, extraordinary is as important a subject as one may ever have. Wrestling with the plain, the unflavored, the (what some might call) boring may become your favorite writing of all.

Perhaps you aren’t ready to believe me yet.

In that case, your writing prompts await, not unlike a romantic suitor waiting to whisk you away for an evening of revelry.

Writing Prompts: Discovery & Writing Practice Specialized for Your Form of Writing

Coffee Mugs and Coffee beans frame writing prompts for numerous niche writers: Social Media posts, poetry prompts, fiction writers and more.

Copy & Paste Texts: (Use these to copy right into your text or direct message box and send – or personalize for your situation. Surprise someone with a text message they weren’t expecting!)

It doesn’t need to be a special day for me to remind you how special you are to me!
I’m drinking my morning coffee wishing I was sharing a mug with you.
I just watched (name a TV series or movie) and it reminded me of the simple yet wonderful days we have had together!

Entrepreneurs: What is the most extraordinary (yet seemingly ordinary) quality of the product or service you provide? How can you accentuate the simplicity of it?

Social Media Posts: What you think is everyday in your life may fascinate your followers. Show your most behind-the-scenes/behind-the-scenes in an upcoming post.

Video Prompt: Project yourself back to your school days and make a video that is about a “how-to” and share something simple like tying your shoes or how to hold a pencil. Then stay very present to the reality there may be a time when people no longer hold pencils or tie shoes.

Fiction Writers: Set the stage for a regular/ordinary day in the moments before something really outrageous or unexpected happens.

Lifestyle Bloggers: The pandemic has given us a lesson in how quickly things change. Share a blog post of something that has stayed the same – and why you treasure it even more now.

Memoir/Life Writers: Take a dull scene you need to write in order for a more interesting scene to make sense and insert an interesting object to spice it up. Yes, make the object the star and see what energy that gives to the sequence.

Poets: It was a poem about coffee that helped improve ALL my writing. What is something everyday YOU will write about?

Copywriters: How would you sell and market a completely ordinary project? Write some practice copy and then think how to use it in your actual copy assignments.

Journaling Quotes & General Prompts

“I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.”

Alice Paul

Prompt: When people make things more complicated than they are, I wonder…..

“If we had a keen vision of all that is ordinary in human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow or the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which is the other side of silence.”

George Eliot

Prompt: I imagine the sound of grass grow is much like….. And that makes me feel (continue to follow the thread to see what unlikely place the sound of grass growing may take you.)

“My mother is a big believer in being responsible for your own happiness. She always talked about finding joy in small moments and insisted that we stop and take in the beauty of an ordinary day. When I stop the car to make my kids really see a sunset, I hear my mother’s voice and smile.”

Jennifer Garner

Prompt: Watch a sunset and write what you see… like the sun is giving dictation.

Find a supportive writing community via a Facebook Group:

We look forward to writing with you!

Writing Prompt to Start Your Week with Intention

October 18, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 9 Comments

I ended last week with a thud. Have you ever ended a week like that, almost afraid to turn the page on the calendar?

On Sunday morning I told a group of friends, “I really need support with my mood and my follow through: I have been so cranky and so angry and it is made me fall into a fog of “nothing is going to get better” that I find myself getting blocked. I haven’t been walking as much, I haven’t been reading for fun, I haven’t been feeling as well… I haven’t been drinking as much water…”

Sometimes shifts happen when we see sunrise in a new fresh way. No more malaise!

It was as if the malaise started in a small way and then started spreading out over the majority of my life. I knew I needed to do something differently in order to continue to improve and to reach the goals I have set for myself.

How a simple prompt may shift your entire week

This simple fill-in-the-blanks prompt can take your journaling deeper each time you use it. Here is what I wrote this morning:

I started this week feeling vaguely optimistic and my intention is to end this week feeling satisfied because I followed through on my goals and plan for the most part and I allowed space to be open to even bigger, more cool stuff to take place.

off the end of my pen came the words:

“The world deserves the best from me.”

I value the people here and I have been praying for things to get better overall. I want to play a part in that “getting better” instead of angrily watching things get worse.

Begin adding energy to your intention by commenting here OR

You may respond to this post with your beginnings… and then continue to write “offline” even sharing throughout the week. As I watched my “thud-ending” week last week I realized it didn’t have to be that way… and maybe this is one way to stay on course and check in daily with myself before I check in with my friends, who offered to be that for me.

If accountability helps, share your daily updates on twitter or on instagram or facebook stories

Writing and journaling prompts do not have to be difficult or long and laborious. Like this one, they may also be playful and inventive with a chance for you to repeat, revise and play over and over again, simply write a different ending.

Bonus Tip? Daily preview using the same prompt, modified:

“I am starting the day feeling ______. I intend to end the day feeling _____ because ______”

Today, I might have written:

I am starting the day feeling rushed. I intend to end the day feeling accomplished because I will successfully lead the discussion group and get my blog updates ready for the week. I feel so blessed to know my work is helping others to gain insights and awareness as they begin their week. When I am productive and focus on what is in front of me rather than mourn what I didn’t do yesterday or worry about what will happen tomorrow, things fall into place better. I know this to be true. Deep breaths: I feel better about it already.

Take some time today to consider your week and/or your day.

Making a subtle shift in your intentionality has the capacity to make an enormous impact. You and the world deserves your fully expressed life.

We look forward to writing with you!

Writers & Procrastination: 3 Ways to Be More Productive Now

October 11, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 5 Comments

Photo of a woman, looking out a window while holding onto a cushion. She is a writer, procrastinating. She needs to write, but won't. Erica Jong believes it is fear of judgement that stops her.

“All I want to do today is get some writing done!” I said excitedly this morning. It was as if I was giving myself a personalize Writer’s Pep Talk! I was smiling, I was earnest, I almost had a plan and a schedule!

Why then was I sitting in my driveway checking twitter at 4 pm after I dropped my daughter off at her film shoot?

I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to waste, so why was I on twitter, checking out the tweets using the hashtag #amwriting? I might not have noticed this was strange until I saw myself typing into my phone “I’m doing so well at procrastinating I checked who used #amwriting so I can “network” as a writing warm up?”

I rushed into my house and decided to google “writers and procrastination”.

Interesting to see how an academic institution differs from a professional website, I thought, before I realized, “I am still not writing.”

How often does this sort of thing happen to you?

During the pandemic I have reinvested in my interest in hiking. I started walking regularly for my health and hiking is another extension of that. I could do all the right prep work: research the best trails for beginners, , buy hiking boots, talk about hiking, drive to the trail and arrive at the trailhead early in the day, but if I didn’t actually get out of my car and put my feet on the trail, I wouldn’t really be a hiker.

Something changes when we actually follow through on what we say we want to do.

There are moments when we have to be our own writing coach check in with ourselves as we tweet and realize “I am writing a tweet to connect with other writers maybe because I am lonely, but why don’t I use ‘networking with other writers” as a reward once I actually write.

Here are three easy ways to settle your racing, procrastinating mind and sit at your keyboard and write something useful and productive instead of tweeting, ordering the next “how to write” book on Amazon or sending a direct message to your writing buddy to check in about how much you want to (yet aren’t) writing.

Set up a reward system for your writing time. If you say you are going to write at a specific time, WRITE – and have a plan to reward yourself. Say, “I will work on Chapter 3 of my novel at 11:00 am until 11:30 am. I will reward myself with 10 minutes on twitter. Set your timer and USE it. Repeat with different times and rewards. Find the time allotments that work best by experimenting and playing with your schedule.
Give yourself the gift of a writing warm up. If you have a particular subject or assignment, before you begin working specifically on that subject, give yourself 5 minutes (again, use a timer) to do a free write, stream of consciousness writing warm up. CAVEAT: when five minutes are up, write 5 sentences that include affirming your intention, your abilities and gratitude. Those five sentences may sound like this: “I am so grateful I have this opportunity to write today. Russell values my writing work and praised my blog post about refugee camps in times of Covid19. I feel confident this new work about influencing grandparents to actively engage their gamer grandchildren will make a difference in the world. When I am done, I will walk around the block and then come back and prepare for another writing session. I am a capable writer.”
Let go of the need to have anything precisely the same every time you write. “I can’t write because I don’t have my lucky blue mug to keep me company.” News flash: it isn’t your blue mug that is lucky, it is your butt in your writing seat, consistently getting words on the page that makes you lucky.

Did you notice what happened? Earlier today I said, “All I want to do today is get some writing done!” and now I have. I managed to stay away from twitter, I managed to not worry that I am separated from my coffee maker and I even didn’t throw my shoe at the loud noisemaking box someone else in my Covid19 too crowded space insists on keeping on constantly.

How did your writing go?

I have a lot of new ideas about ending writer’s procrastination and there may be more articles on this topic being published soon! Be sure to follow me on social media (links are above) and/or join the private Word-Love Writing Community on Facebook where we not only talk strategies and insights, we also regularly host writing sprints and community brain dumps and more, just for you.

Stop the Writer’s (or any) Block Before It Stops You

July 28, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife 4 Comments

Block – the brick wall – it shows up for the best of us.

If people insist they don’t know what it feels like to be stuck or blocked or feel resistance, I would question their authenticity.

Maybe I am judging my imperfection or maybe I recognize nature ebbs and flows and as we are a part of nature, block is bound to happen. What matters is what we do as individuals when blocks appear.

Randy Pausch shared this quote which I return to whenever the block starts to feel too big:

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.”

A brick wall with plants on the side including a quote from Julie Jordan Scott "Blocks appear in order to reconnect us with our desires." and the prompt: "When I started this, what was my intention?" BONUS: Restart your writing with a sentence (or more) of gratitude.

1. Leave “the problem” of block where it lives. Walk away and restrict your thought about the block itself, especially if those thoughts are coated in negative self-talk.

2. Do mundane, meaningless activities, especially if they will be of service to others.

3. If you are compelled, research another area of passion in your life.

4. Stay away from the “problem” until you are at peace with “it” and, in fact, are able to not consider it problematic anymore.

5. Remember, it isn’t “the problem” that is the problem, it is your opinion about the problem that creates the lack of movement and the sticky malaise. If you say “Writing block sucks!” it will suck. If you say “This block is giving my opportunity for growth – and in the future I will warmly embrace growth without the block!”

I took my own advice when I was blocked yesterday – and once again my writing flows, proving sometimes the best medicine for what ails you is to step away and focus anywhere except “the block” or “the problem” or “my ridiculous inabilities.”

Julie JordanScott creates content to inspire creative people to lead more satisfying lives even during this pandemic. Walking and sitting at the Panorama Bluffs helps her feel centered.

Julie JordanScott, the Creative Life Midwife, is a writer, a poet performer, a Creativity Coach, A Social Media Whiz and a Mother of three. One of her greatest joys include loving people into their greatness they just aren’t quite able to realize yet.

Julie is also one of the Founders of Bridge to the New Year. Join us now in mid-2020 in #Refresh2020 to reflect, connect, intend and taking passionate action to create a truly remarkable rest of 2020.

3 Top Ways to Most Effectively Use Your Journal Writing as a Content Creator

July 27, 2020 by jjscreativelifemidwife Leave a Comment

As a blogger with a social media account, there is a constant demand to creator more content, create more content, create more content. I have a secret for you: some of your best content ideas may be found in your journal or everyday notebook you write in "just to braindump or blow off steam" before you get down to your "real writing."

As a blogger with multiple social media accounts, there is a constant demand to creator more content, create more content, create more content. I have a secret for you: some of your best content ideas may be found in your journal or everyday notebook you write in “just to braindump or blow off steam” before you get down to your “real writing.”

Here are the three most important ways to take your notebooks and make them into sizzling content.

Have a separate to-do list or planner next to you to jot notes about content ideas and strategies as they pop up. Immediately, in one fluid motion , do this. Treat your separate list as if it is a part of the same document. Be fluid as you jot items in there without losing your writing momentum.

Either midday or at the end of the afternoon, review your morning journal writing for the day to highlight and capture any particularly interesting turns of phrase or insights you had during the earlier session. Consider the action you may want to take from the insights you had and/or if what you wrote in your free writing may be a source for future blog posts, video scripts, speeches or social media posts.

Set aside a time to review your past journals. Sometimes when we are too close to the writing, we can’t gain from our messages. Once we have lived longer, the voice of our “past self” seems to magically become wiser. Be sure to use a highlighter and/or a separate to-do list (like in #1) to follow up.

Be prepared to instantly become a more productive content creator from writing you once thought was a throw away. Your journal or free writing notebook is where you are most likely your most authentic self. Use it for your good and the use of others.

Julie JordanScott writing poetry at a downtown Bakersfield flower shop.

Julie is also one of the Founders of Bridge to the New Year. Join us now in 2020 in #Refresh2020 to reflect, connect, intend and taking passionate action to create a truly remarkable rest of 2020. Click the graphic below to join the Private Facebook Group to join the conversation!