[stylist] 10 Ways To Keep Your Mental Prime

[Brad Dunsé]

 From the organization which I'm taking the freelance B2B class.


As freelance writers, we've got to shake things 
up regularly and keep our minds fresh so we can pen inspired copy.

One of the best ways to do this is to practice "spontaneous creativity.”

It goes beyond just good sense – it's also a 
physical necessity, unless you don't mind your brain deteriorating.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate my point. 
It's about the time I was outsmarted by a couple of 8-year-olds.

At the time, I was 15. I'd been attending a 
leadership seminar with other sophomores from 
around the state. Most of the instruction 
centered on how to be successful in life.

In one of the presentations, they had us do a 
brainstorming exercise. I can't remember what we 
had to brainstorm, but I came up with a list of about five solid ideas.

Then the presenters brought two 8-year-olds out 
on stage. They had them do the same brainstorming 
exercise. Right there, in front of everybody and 
with absolutely zero hesitation, those two kids 
started spouting off all kinds of ideas. Between 
them, they came up with well over 50 solutions!

This demonstrated to us high schoolers how 
quickly we lose our ability to think outside the box.

I remember being supremely annoyed. At only 15, I 
was apparently past my mental peak.

Unfortunately, that's the case for a lot of us. 
It's a fact that brain cells deteriorate with age 
and thought patterns grow methodical.

Thank heavens, there's a remedy. All it takes is 
constant stimulation to the creative side of your brain.

It's not hard work either. The key is to be 
consistent. Below, I've listed 10 ways to 
consistently practice original thought and get 
your creative juices flowing. Doing so should 
help you lay some of those beneficial neural 
pathways I've been talking about all week.
    * Read as much as possible about everything 
possible. After all, information sparks creative connections.
    * Hang out with smart people. Intelligent discussions exercise your brain.
    * Give yourself a time limit to figure out 
problems and pick a number so you'll know how 
many solutions/possibilities you should come up 
with. I've heard that some top copywriters will 
come up with 100 different possible headlines. I 
wonder if they make themselves do this in a limited amount of time.
    * Keep yourself physically fit. Getting 
enough sleep, exercising, and eating healthy food 
have a considerable impact on your mental powers.
    * Join an improv comedy class.
    * Don't judge ideas as they come to you. 
Everything represents possibility. Wait and censor later.
    * Practice your storytelling skills, and 
craft impromptu, random stories. Use these prompts to outline your story:

"Once upon a time”
"And every day”
"Until one day”
"And because of that”
"Until finally”
"And ever since then”
    * Skim the dictionary, find a word at random, 
and write a headline using that word. 
Restrictions force you to think creatively.
    * Gather details about your dilemma before 
you start thinking. In the writing world, this 
means do your research about the product or topic you're writing about.
    * Listen to Bach. A lot of folks swear his music sparks creativity.

Aim to do at least one of these things every day 
for a minimum of ten minutes a day.

Another way to spark creativity is by enrolling 
in an educational program. I can think of no 
better than 
<http://www.the-golden-thread.com/em/lt.php?c=697&m=675&nl=5&s=fb7ba06de480c665a929eba1085125d2&lid=6786&l=-http--www.awaionline.com/twl/ct4/>AWAI's 
Accelerated Program Live Companion Series. It 
works very simply but is wildly effective. You 
learn the core lessons of copywriting, including 
when to stick to a formula and when to think 
outside the box. You learn from experts who've 
had success doing exactly that. And you have a 
great time along the way (I had a blast when I took it).

<http://www.the-golden-thread.com/em/lt.php?c=697&m=675&nl=5&s=fb7ba06de480c665a929eba1085125d2&lid=6786&l=-http--www.awaionline.com/twl/ct4/>Find 
out how soon you can start.

And one more thing, one more way to look for 
creativity-prompting ideas is by "surfing” 
Facebook. It's true! 
<http://www.the-golden-thread.com/em/lt.php?c=697&m=675&nl=5&s=fb7ba06de480c665a929eba1085125d2&lid=6787&l=-http--www.awaionline.com/2012/02/6-ways-to-make-facebook-an-idea-generator/>Read 
about it here.

To your success,

Mindy Tyson McHorse
Freelance Copywriter and AWAI Wall of Fame Member