How do you jumpstart your creativity when you've rested, given yourself permission, and still can't get going? This year I slept in a castle, spent the night in a farm grain silo, and I'm about to board a cruise ship. Somewhere between the castle and the silo, the creativity I'd been missing all year came back. Not because I tried harder, but because I tried differently. Picking up where last week's episode on rest guilt left off, I share the three things that refilled my creative well in 2026: travel that gets you outside your everyday life, arts and crafts that wake up your inner child, and playful writing, from morning pages done my own way to solo roleplaying journals. Along the way I cover what the research says about novelty and creativity, why you don't have to be "good at art" to get the benefits, and why "writing to find out" might be the best cure for a stuck manuscript. No castle, craft room, or talent required. I close with a journaling prompt to help you remember what it feels like to make something just for the fun of it. 00:00 Rediscovering Creativity Through Unique Experiences 01:01 The Power of Travel in Sparking Ideas 06:53 Engaging in Arts and Crafts for Creative Freedom 12:01 Innovative Writing Techniques to Overcome Blocks Go somewhere new. Pick one unfamiliar place this week, near or far, and bring one question to ask while you're there.Make something with no goal. Give yourself 20 minutes with a coloring book, a magazine collage, or a doodle of your book's setting. Glitter optional, but encouraged.Write to play. Try one prompt and one line of morning pages, or play one session of a free solo journaling game on itch.io. Treat it like game night, not a writing session. 📓 When was the last time you made something just for the fun of it? What were you doing, where were you, and what would it take to feel that way again this week? Share what you make, whether it's a doodle, a page, or a picture from somewhere new, in the free Authors' Allies Roundtable on Skool! Last week's episode: Why Do I Feel Guilty for Resting? An Author's AnswerSu, Chen & Lin (2025), "Igniting creativity through travel," Tourism Management Kaimal, Ray & Muniz (2016), "Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making," Art Therapy (Drexel University) Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way and morning pages Colette Baron- Reid, The Art of Manifesting Whimsical Weiners, Jamie Morath Adult Sassy Coloring Book, Authors Allies Solo journaling RPGs on itch.io NOTE: at one point I mistakenly refer to The Artist’s Way as The Art of Manifesting. The transcription is corrected but my voice is incorrect. Want to learn it and do it with us? Check out the FREE tier of Authors' Allies Roundtable Marketing Membership on Skool. https://www.skool.com/authors-allies-roundtable I often recommend products and services that I use or that have been recommended to me by people we trust. I only suggest items that I have personally used and love. In many cases an affiliate link accompanies these recommendations, (including Amazon -except for my products which are mine and not affiliate links) which provides me with a referral commission should you click through and make a purchase. This is always at no additional cost to you. RESOURCES: 📲 General Website with blog: https://pages.bluedotdigitalmarketing.com/book-marketing 📘 FREE ebook: 10 Steps to Your Ultimate Book Marketing Plan: https://payhip.com/b/oiNTX 😀📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueDotCommunications/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blue_dot_digital/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccapaciorek ⛓🌴 https://linktr.ee/rpaciorek 📧 rebecca@bluedotdigitalmarketing.com Would you like to apply to be a guest on the show? Go here to fill out the application. https://forms.gle/p7aNuDbLd49t1EPz5 Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 5JWYKX7X193SB0PN
