Rituals for creativity

Rituals for creativity

My pre-writing ritual is, shall we say, extensive. Technically speaking, I can write in a lot of settings; I love to set up shop in a cafe, go on writing retreats with friends, and I write every day at work. But when I’m working at home, there are a lot of things I do to set myself up for success. Some of it is cueing my ADHD brain, telling it that it’s time to write. Some of it is that I’m a pretty witchy person, and I depend on rituals for creativity to get myself going. Today we’ll look at different rituals for creativity. You can think about what works for you, what wouldn’t be helpful, and maybe experiment with a few things to get you started.

Why you should have rituals for creativity

Even if you don’t have ADHD or witchy tendencies, rituals for creativity can be as powerful. Think about the rituals you already have in your life, even if you don’t think about them as such; little habits that cue your brain to know what time it is and what’s about to happen, or habits that keep you grounded in who you are and what your values are.

Does the smell of freshly brewed coffee help you get out of bed in the morning? Does the minty taste of toothpaste at night let you know it’s time to wind down? When 3:00 hits, do you find yourself reaching for a sweet treat to help you finish your workday strong? Does working out before work help you focus? What about going for a walk at lunchtime, or taking the time to chat with your colleagues? All of these things are daily rituals that help you get things done, and you can use the same principles to maximize your creativity. 

Rituals are important because they are grounding. When you’re grounded, you’re more likely to do your best work. You probably already have a sense of what helps you be your most creative self, so why not harness that and create a ritual that works for you?

Examples of rituals

There are lots of things that can be considered rituals. Here are some examples. You may already do some of these things! If any of these resonate with you, try them out a few times before you do creative work and see if they help at all.

• Create an olfactory association. Your sense of smell is a great way to trigger memory. I have a special incense that I only burn when I’m writing, so when I light it, my brain automatically knows what to expect. I have friends who do the same with scented candles, diffusing essential oils, or using scented hand lotion. Any smell that you find pleasant will work; I like to use lavender incense because it’s associated with opening the throat chakra (again, I’m witchy) but where the magic really happens is that my brain smells the fragrant smoke and knows it’s time to get to work.
• Prepare your body. Spend a few minutes stretching or going for a brief walk before you get to work. Even 5 minutes of movement can settle your nerves and help you get focused before you dive into your creative project. Want to take it a step further? Try a brief walking meditation and see if anything you notice inspires you. If you’re just getting home from work, try doing something to separate your work day from your creative life; I like to take a quick shower just to rinse off the energy of the day and get ready to focus on myself and my writing.
• Prepare your space. I’m lucky enough to have an office, and when it’s in disarray, it’s much harder for me to create. I like to spend a few minutes tidying my desk, getting my throw blanket situated on my couch, and doing any little tasks that will make it easier for me to focus. When there’s a lot of visual clutter or things out of place, I find it very easy to get sidetracked and distract myself from my writing. You can also take this a step farther and prepare your space with mood lighting, soothing music, white noise, or anything else that will help you do your best work.
• Prepare a little treat. If you know me, you know I’m extremely dependent on little treats. I can’t run out and spend $7 on matcha every time I need to write, so I prepare one at home instead. In the same way that smell can trigger memory, taste can as well, so when I go through the steps of making an iced matcha latte and then sit down at my computer and take a sip, my brain knows it’s time to get serious. For you this may be coffee, tea, or even a little snack. I chose matcha specifically because there is ritual involved in preparing it and I find the caffeine boost helps, but you should do whatever works for you.
• Try something a little woo-woo. Sometimes I like to do a tarot pull, briefly meditate, journal, do a little spellwork, or take out an appropriate crystal when I’m writing. Often, I like to light a green candle to manifest money when I’m working on a project I hope to sell. I’m not going to tell you these things will predict your future, but they MAY magically help you focus, if you like them. All of these things clear your head and help you feel more grounded and focused. If it’s not for you, that’s more than okay, but it’s worth a shot!

Designing your personal ritual

My personal ritual looks like this: I make myself my matcha, tidy my office (which I have designed to maximize productivity and creativity), light my incense, and sit down to write. I have friends who do a tarot pull for every single creativity session, and I have friends who can’t be creative if they don’t do 15 minutes of yoga first. Experiment with all the things on this list until you find something that feels comfortable and like “you.” It may not help you feel creative and productive right away; sometimes it’s the habit of doing it repeatedly that cues your mind and body. Sometimes, however, something will click immediately and you’ll wonder why you never tried it before.

It’s okay for your rituals for creativity to fluctuate over time. Remember, they are a tool meant to serve YOU and help you live your best, most creative life. Creative rituals are a way of prioritizing creativity in your life. Keep experimenting until you find something that resonates, and then stay open to tweaking it as your circumstances and preferences change. Once you find something that feels good and is achievable, write it down and try to do it before your next three creativity sessions. At the end of the experiment, journal about it and see if you think it’s made a difference. I like to actually track my productivity and see if there is any improvement before committing to a ritual, but more often than not, the difference is obvious.