Aside from the positive emotional and mental benefits, writing is one of the most accessible creative pursuits, requiring minimal resources or physical effort. It can be as simple as a few lines of poetry through to an epic memoir and anything in between.
We all have a wonderfully unique story to tell. Writing a memoir can help us to reflect on the richness of our life’s path. Putting our life’s story into words can be an enjoyable experience, and you may be surprised how interested your descendants will be in your recorded history.
So, how do you get started? Here are 5 simple and fun ways to bring writing into your daily life, without the pressure of creating a worldwide best seller.
Join or start a writing group
Writing with a group of friends helps to create a supportive environment and a beneficial routine where you create space to explore topics together. When we write with friends, we motivate each other and can offer support through reading each other’s work and providing helpful feedback.
Keep a daily journal
Writing every day can be beneficial for cognitive health and memory. Keeping a journal is an easy way to exercise your memory and language skills. You can keep a journal of things that happened during your present day or try to capture a memory from your past. You can also develop these memories by adding information like the feelings that these memories recreate in you.
Make visual boards
Even though the focus might be on writing, visual stimuli can be very effective in encouraging storytelling or exploring expressive writing.
This idea can be curated by playing with themes or as a fun approach by cutting pictures from magazines and laying them out, then coming up with a story to link them together.
Doing this with photos from your past can be an engaging way to retell the colourful stories of your life. Once the photos are placed, you can start to write your story.
Exchange letters with old friends
Many might remember having a pen pal during school years – an interactive and engaging way of communicating with a new friend. This simple yet meaningful practice has found a resurgence during COVID-19 as an accessible way to connect older communities living in isolation.
Consider exchanging letters with old friends as a way of talking about events from your past. Sharing stories can help to fill gaps in your memory and relive exciting and meaningful moments.
Create an inviting writing space
Finding an appealing place to write in can help get your creative juices flowing. This may be at home, in the garden or even at your local coffee shop. Set yourself up in a decluttered space, with a nice notebook, your favourite pen, and your preferred drink.
Being free of distractions allows your mind to settle on a topic that inspires you and to explore the events and surroundings from our present and past which have shaped your experiences.
Writing has been proven to help reduce anxiety and can help with attention and focus and emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Different writing styles, such as creative writing, can also help you become more self-aware by exploring deeper insights into beliefs and feelings.
Let your first words be playful, unintentional, and free; it’s your own creative project. Have fun!
