So how is this helping me become a better writer? It turns out, there are plenty of ways.

Understanding natural cycles

This year I’ve been focusing on two phases of the moon – the new moon and the full moon. Each of these phases represent different points in a repeating cycle.

The new moon represents the beginning of the cycle. It is a time to set intentions, to call in what you want out of life. During this phase, the moon is not visible in the sky. Here, we are reminded to turn our attention inward. This is a time to focus on what we are creating in our inner worlds, and to truly understand YES, we are meant to be in control of our inner worlds, and to create an outer world that reflects our desires and dreams.  

The full moon represents the end of a cycle. It is a time of harvest. It is a time for us to give gratitude for everything we have been given and worked hard for. It is a time when the moon is fully visible, illuminating the things in our lives that are no longer serving us so we may RELEASE these things with ease. In doing so, we move towards the next cycle of setting intentions more prepared to work towards our goals.

Paying attention to these natural cycles gives me a timer to follow – a guide for checking in on my goals, my progress, and analyzing what needs to be changed to make the process better in the future. Yes, I absolutely apply this to my writing goals.

These cycles also help me see the way my own creative energy ebbs and flows. I am not constantly in creation mode. There has to be time for rest and reflection, time for observation and improvement. If I stop fighting periods of rest, I’m able to move back into creative surges without any strings of doubt. I stop questioning my own need for rest, and I see it as natural process.

Connecting to unedited feminine energy

The moon represents many things, one of those being feminine energy. In Spanish, luna is feminine. In many indigenous cultures, the moon is often referred to as Grandmother Moon. The moon is associated with water as it directs the tides. Water is also known to be the fluid representation of feminine energy. Women also menstruate with a timing that follows the cycles of the moon.

Feminine energy represents our intuition, emotion, empathy, passion, and creativity. It is the energy with which we move through FEELING. It is the energy with which we bring something into being that did not yet exist.

In my writing circles, I make a goal to tap into this energy by creating without planning and judgment. Without the need for perfectionism. It is the goal to remove all barriers for what is “good” and “bad” writing and let it be as it wants to be – raw and unfiltered. I find removing these censors requires practice and support, but when I allow myself to be in this flow, my best work comes through.  

Tapping into inspiration from themes of different moons

Astrologically, each new and full moon take place under a different sign. For example, this month we had a new moon in Taurus, and the full moon will be in Sagittarius. Whether you vibe with astrology or not, taking a look at the different signs and their meanings adds an extra layer of significance to the new and full moon phases. And who doesn’t want more fodder for creativity?

In each of my new and full moon writing circles, we reflect on our lives based on a theme inspired by the sign of the moon. This gives us direction, like a prompt. It inspires us to focus specifically on new topics. And trust me, there is ALWAYS something juicy to talk about when we write in alignment with the themes of the moon.

Deepening self-reflection

Aligning with new and full moon phases requires taking a moment to pause from busy day-to-day activities and being honest about where you stand in your own life. It forces you to ask questions about what you want, about things you’re grateful for, about things that aren’t working, about the relationships that serve you and ones that need to GO. It asks you how you’ve been treating yourself, treating others, and managing your time. Sometimes, this means looking at things you don’t necessarily want to see. Sometimes it means owning up to things you need to change or make amends for. And, you know what? It’s always best to know. That way you can actively make the changes you wish to see, even when it’s hard.

I ask myself these deep and hard questions not only about my relationships to myself, my world, and other people, but also about my relationship to writing and creativity. By checking in on a regular basis, I’m being forced to put my money where my mouth is. I say writing is a priority for me. Every new cycle I get to reflect on whether my actions match my words. Often, I’m happy to see progress. Other times, I get a soft reminder to reevaluate my choices. Let me tell you, I’ve never had such a consistent practice. Especially not one as full of inspiration and connection.

Building community

So now you understand the depth these in which cycles ask us to evaluate ourselves and our commitment to writing. Now, imagine you are talking with a group of creatives who are all practicing the same thing. The conversations get personal, they get supportive, they become cathartic. Before you know it, you have an entire group of writers who are committed not only to writing, but to becoming better versions of themselves. And that’s the kind of group you can become friends with, the kind of group you can rely on to hold you accountable. It creates the perfect community in which to grow.

I KNOW I would still be writing if I wasn’t part of a circle, because I’m a writer and that is what I do. But I swear, there is nothing like listening to another creative read the magic they’ve just spilled on a page and then using their words to inspire you to reach new creative heights all your own. All of this while knowing there is a group cheering you on every step of the way.

It took me time to admit something I have believed to be true for a while – creative energy and life energy have the same source. I’m not sure why this took me so long to admit. Perhaps it has to do with my journey to repair my spiritual life. For a bit there, it was hard to admit such energies exist at all. But now I know the spark that calls me to create is the same spark the keeps me breathing, keeps me questioning, keeps me seeking. I create because I have been created. It is something I innately know how to do.

In his book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin writes, “Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.” Many times, I have witnessed people who would not call themselves “writers” or “artists” leave my writing circles understanding that they have a creative ability within them.  Creativity is not some unique talent that only a rare few are chosen to receive; it is the expression of authenticity and personal experience. It is an individual’s unique perspective, and their use of that perspective to shape the existence around them – to bring something new into being.

One thing I will say about creativity is that it requires the creative person to learn more about themselves, to seek their own inner knowing. This is not easy. Sometimes, this means we have to take a hard look at what resides inside so we can bring that out into the physical world. This will ask us to look at parts of ourselves that are still tender with pain, parts of us that need healing. Sometimes, this asks us to look at what we don’t want to identify with – the parts of us that are capable of feeling jealousy, anger, hatred, shame, loneliness. It will ask us to bear witness to everything it means to be human, and then (if we are truly listening to the call) it will ask us to be VULNERABLE by sharing all of that messiness with the rest of the world.

When I decided to jump back into writing, I was going through the hardest period of my life – divorce, dealing with decisions I had made, receiving a PTSD diagnosis, finding new places to live. I was fundamentally questioning all of my beliefs and my entire existence. Writing became one of the only ways to understand everything I was feeling. I joined a writing group, started sharing what I was going through, and I was SEEN. I found other’s who related to my journey, who let me know I wasn’t alone, who encouraged and helped grow my creative skills. In sharing, I learned that my voice is valuable and deserves to take up space. I will forever be grateful.

Being creative became my fundamental path of self-discovery. It became the lens with which I rebuilt my entire world. As I began exploring myself in this way, I started exploring other methods of healing – meditation, therapy, breathwork… After some time, I finally started seeing my blocks, feeling my flows, and understanding the way life is moving beautifully through me. The more I explored this, the more my creativity flourished. I was able to take all the pain I experienced and began to transmute that into art. Into beacons of light that could call out to others experiencing the same thing.

Creativity not only led me back to myself; it led me back to community. I’ve never been so held and supported as I have been in creative communities. In a world determined to burn bridges, it became my means of finding the humanity and compassion in others. Creativity led me back to a more spiritual life. I began understanding the energies that exist within this universe. Most importantly, I began to feel my place in it. I began to see how this energy flows through me and into what I create. I began to understand that I create to deepen my connection with myself, my community, and the world.

I went for a drive, and somewhere along the dusty road, a single purple flower grew from rocky edges. I was going so fast I wasn’t sure I’d seen it. There was no room to turn around. Even less time. How, I wonder, do I live more slowly? How do I give myself enough time to get out of the car and count petals strong enough to thrive between loose soil and sharp cracks? How do I let things I normally pass by become things that change me? How do I wave down others along the way, point to blooming life, ask earnestly, “Do you see magic, too?”

One thing I have started to become more comfortable with is accepting that sometimes I need to take a break. I remind myself that my muse is just around the corner. I’ve also learned that there are things you can do to push through writer’s block. If you’ve tried all the writing prompts out there and you need something new, take a brake with a different creative activity. The more often you dedicate time to exploring your creativity, the more your creativity is willing to show up. If you give your creativity room to explore, you won’t be stuck in the same old box. That’s when the magic really starts to happen.

Here are 5 simple creative activities you can use to jumpstart your writing:

1. Make a Collage

This doesn’t have to be expensive or pretty, but it should be a lot of fun. After the holiday season, I looked at all of the magazines and catalogues that had been mailed to my house. I planned on recycling them, but that seemed like a such a waste. There were so many pictures, images, and colors that I loved throughout the magazines. A lot of people took time and care to put these together. Instead of getting rid of them, I took my scissors and cut out the images and patterns I liked the most. Then I organized the cutouts by colors and themes. It wasn’t long before I had enough to cover a piece of printer paper. I took a glue stick and glued them together in a collage, and I had way more fun doing it than I thought I would. My first collage had gold and rose gold colors throughout the page. I used those colors to inspire a poem, which I then wrote down and pasted in the center of the collage. The piece was so much fun to make, and it was something I could share with others. The best thing is that this didn’t cost me any money. I was able to do all of this with things I found at the house. All it took was scissors, glue, magazines and printer paper. I’m going to see what else I can find to reuse for the collage. Maybe old birthday cards, photos, or pieces of cloth. I might make them 3D and glue on little beads or buttons to make them pop even more. I’ve also asked my friends to keep extra magazines so we can get together for a craft day. I can’t wait to see what other poems or pieces of writing are inspired because of it.

2. Paint a Canvas

I am not a very talented painter. I never spent much time perfecting that art, but it is a lot of fun. If you can get past needing to make something that is perfect, this can spark a lot of creativity. So just roll with it. I was staying with my friend Mandy shortly after the coronavirus surfaced. Her and I decided to pass the time indoors by painting canvases. We found an image we liked online. We thought it looked simple enough, and decided to paint something similar. The process was more labor intensive than we thought it would be. We taped off geometric shapes, which took a lot of measuring and planning. Then we painted a blue ombre across the entire canvas. Once that dried, we removed the tap and painted those lines gold. It turned out so well we decided to hang up the paintings in the house. Not only was this cheaper than art we could have bought, but it meant a lot more to us. That act of creativity continues to inspire me every time I look at the painting. I’ve attempted more artistic projects as a result. You don’t have to try to make art you can hang on the wall. Do whatever it takes to make something. Even if that something is just dipping your fingers in some paint and running it across notebook paper. It will force your brain to think in new ways. You can ask yourself questions about the painting to come up with writing ideas. How do the colors in the painting make you feel? Are there any shapes in the painting that look like they are not supposed to be there? What story is this painting telling? Did painting this remind you of something in your past? Does this painting remind you of somewhere you would want to go? Is the painting dark or sad? Does it give you hope? Write about that.  

3. Make a Card for Someone

I think this is a great idea even if you don’t need to fight writer’s block. If you give someone a handmade card, that is always going to mean more than buying one at the store. The bonus is that it will probably also save you money. Store bought cards can be way too expensive. If you don’t want to make a card to give someone, then make a card for someone you have never met. Imagine a person that needs to receive a card, and then create it. There are so many ways to challenge yourself with this project. You can draw, paint an image, or fill up the card with words you think someone needs to hear. Whether you think they want to hear it or not.

4. Cook a New Meal

One of the ways to jumpstart your writing is to cook a new recipe. Cooking a new meal can force you to try something you have never done before. You can follow a recipe or make it up as you go along. Either way, you will get the gears in your mind moving again. You can also use the colors, smells, and tastes to inspire you. Are you using a new spice? Do your vegetables make your plate look like a rainbow? Are you cooking an old, family recipe for the first time? Does the popping of the frying pan remind you of a song? Are you eating this food because it tastes good or only because it’s a healthy option? Answers to these questions might inspire something for you to write about.

5. Make a Scrapbook Page of a Memory

This one is similar to making a collage, but instead of using random pieces and patterns, you choose photos and items from a specific memory. I am not a scrapbooker, but I’m sure I will be one day. In the meantime, creating a single scrapbook page will help push past writer’s block. It also helps preserve a special memory, person, or place. If you want to create a scrapbook page of a family day at the breach, for example, you could use photos of your family at the beach, photos of the water, beach theme stickers, and even small seashells you found that day. You can use these memories to remind yourself how you were feeling. Was it too cold to go swimming on the one day you didn’t have to work? Did you hear an interesting conversation between strangers walking by? Did your children make a sandcastle that reminded you of your own childhood playdates?

As you can see, all of these are very simple ideas that cost little to no money. Just use what you have lying around. Doing something new will stretch your creative muscles. You can use that energy to start writing. Now get out there and make something!