Creative freedom is a gift we have as humans beings. It liberates us from a world that would be just fine seeing us lose our life to fit into their box. I started writing my For the Conscious Writer posts in 2020 with the intention of having it lead into a mentoring program. (I created a link in case you want to check some of those posts out on Medium.) I let fear and uncertainty knock me off track. I didn’t want to do it alone. I also didn’t want to make a fool of myself while developing a program that I care about so much. But no more! I’m not going to let fear keep me from being exactly who I want to be and who I’m excited to be.
Let’s break free!
I’ve taken time to gather the most important aspects to creative freedom. I came up with three freedoms for creatives that lead to the ultimate creative freedom.
- Freedom to Grow
- Freedom to Be Heard
- Freedom to Listen
I want to take some time to focus on the first one.
Freedom to Grow
Freedom to grow, what does that even mean?
Freedom to grow as a writer is allowing yourself to expand into new places and spaces that will give you more experience, wisdom, and knowledge.
Why do we need freedom to grow?
Referring back to the definition, freedom grow gives us more experience, wisdom, and knowledge. Those things together with self reflection and inner growth give us power behind our message, confidence in our craft, and it gives us the strength to keep going when it seems all is lost. One of the most beautiful things that comes with allowing ourselves the freedom to grow is the ability to shine our light for others to see in the darkness.
When I let fear dictate my life (very recently for me) I become complacent, bogged down, and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. In this state, I often forget what tools I have to help me feel like I’m growing as an artist. Aka the tools that help me avoid burnout.
I’m going to quickly give you the three tools but if you’d like to learn more about how to leverage each tool keep reading.
Let’s find some different ways you can use experimentation, reading, and connecting with other writers to keep you inspired and interested. Inspiration and interest are like your shields against burn out, writers block, and stagnancy. Okay, let’s dive deeper.
Experimentation
As writers experimentation helps us break down barriers in ourselves and in the world that surrounds us. Exploring different ways to share our message helps us reach different audiences with a more powerful impact. Readers want to enjoy what you have to share. What you have to say is so valuable to our collective growth. Experimenting really gives our work edge and helps us to meet those in need, exactly where they are. Here’s a list of different ways to experiment with your writing.
- Formatting
- Writing styles
- Character development
- Different Types of writing
- Different mediums (painting, acting, sculpting)
- Tone
- Time
- How you engage with your readers
- How you invite the world to read your work
Being intentional about our experimentation gets us out of the boxes we create out of comfort and fear. You don’t have to master every experiment. The point is to get out there and try new things and experience the writing life. Remind yourself why you enjoy the genre you write in OR maybe you’ll find your experiment is exactly what’s missing in your life. You never know if you don’t try.
Read
Read everything.
Magazines
Blogs
Non fiction
Fiction
Comics
Sales pitches
business writing
eBooks
paperbacks
hard covers
large print
unpublished works
screenplays
Yes, I know you guys already know that reading is important, but what I really want to encourage is to take this even further. I think it’s important for us as conscious writers to make sure we’re reading more than what’s fed to us. I think it’s important for us to follow the white rabbit that takes us outside of the “norm.” So…
As Conscious Writers I respectfully ask that you read two things. Read
outside of your typical genre and
Outside of your own culture
All the books!
The only way you can become a better writer is by reading the works of other writers. Reading other writers work whether they’re someone you know or a dead poet, expands your perception. It may help you see someone else’s side of the story. The hardest genre for me to read is romance but there are some great romance scenes that melt my heart. Another hard thing for me, is to find books outside of my culture at the library. I kinda just wander around and pick up what looks good. But I’d like to be more intentional about what books I pick out. There’s too much world out there to keep reading writing from the same class and culture over and over again. I want so much more than what I already know. It’s adventurous and daring, and it takes work but writing is the path we chose (or the path that chose us) and we want to develop. Getting better takes some effort.
But to make it easier here’s a link with a list of books by international writers
Connecting with other writers
- For feedback
- Learning the best way for you to give and receive criticism
- For support -to give and receive it
- For ideas
- For Friendship
Connecting with other writers takes you out of the vacuum or that spiral calling your name. I think there are times in your writing process where you shouldn’t read books (especially from the genre you’re writing in) and you shouldn’t converse with other people about your work. But outside of that point in the creative process, it’s important to talk to other writers. Why is connection with other writers important though? Because first off they understand the writing experience. They understand the woes and joys that come with writing. We don’t all experience the same thing as writers, but we have a great deal of understanding in comparison to those who don’t commit themselves to writing. Plus, it helps us better understand the human experience. It’s 2022! We have the ability to talk to people outside of our own countries!
Different ways to connect with other writers
- Comment on blogs and post
- Send a uplifting DM
- Post your own work
- Respond
- Find writing groups
- Lead a writing group
- Participate in challenges
If you like the idea of connecting with friends here’s a great post on Medium titled Friends and the Creative Process
Jayne.press 
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