1-5 Rituals – Alaa Khaldun

According to the Oxford Dictionary, rituals have many definitions but are mostly“a series of actions or type of behaviour regularly and invariably followed by someone.” Why are rituals important to writers? Well, rituals are mental cues to trigger the flow state, or meditative state, in which a creative is at the height of their concentration.

Rituals help circumvent unavoidable stress. Sometimes there are things in your life that you cannot remove. Even if you are handling them, or they are an ongoing problem, they will affect your creative work. Rituals condition the mind to be creative no matter what. They are habit-building. Think of Classical Conditioning where someone is conditioned to react a certain way after receiving a specific stimulus. Rituals are such conditions that are regulated and controlled by you.

Rituals are also as effective as their purpose. For example, if I have a ritual in which I sharpen a pencil, then I write with a pen, it doesn’t really make any sense. On the other hand, if I take that pencil and draw something with it, then I write, that would make more sense because the purpose of that ritual is to put me in a creative mood.

If the ritual doesn’t have a purpose, then it’s just taking up time. Below are some examples of rituals that writers have utilised. I will say this time and time again: Know yourself. Many writers claim their techniques or rituals are the best, and they will swear by them. But that’s because those techniques work well for their personalities. If you are not sure what works for you, then experiment. Try new things until you feel comfortable. Secondly, refresh and renew your techniques and rituals. Sometimes something that worked once is stressing you out now. And the opposite can be true too when something you tried once didn’t work, but works now.

One such example is the Forest app, which blocks unwanted apps, keeps focus time, tabulates my progress, and plants trees in the real world. I downloaded it years ago, tried it and found it tedious. When I was clearing my phone of useless apps, I tried Forest one more time. Now I use it every day.

The Tools:

It’s important to have your tool set ready. Picking new journals, notebooks, pens, and inks might be the start of your ritual. Then there is picking the right tools for the moment.

Sometimes I’ll write with a specific pen and ink while sketching, and have another set for writing ideas, and a third for writing scenes. Once my hands have accustomed to these pens, my mind is conditioned to flow creativity when using them.

Playlists:

A long time ago, I read some articles on how music can change your mood. So I experimented. I appointed a set of songs to play whenever I experienced specific emotions. Then I tried playing those songs when I wasn’t feeling any particular feeling. I discovered I became happy whenever I played the happy song, and I felt terrible after listening to the sad song. It came to where I could no longer listen to the appointed sad song because it started triggering the sadness and depression I felt when I first started listening to the song. In conclusion, songs hold memories and feelings. Used the wrong way, you can trigger long-forgotten pain. But utilising them positively can bring amazing results.

Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side, likes to prepare a playlist of songs before he writes his next project. Many writers and creatives like to prepare playlists or soundtracks to help them set their moods.

I have several playlists to work with, including several soundtracks from shows, movies, and games. I’ll play fast-paced music for fight scenes, slow music for emotional scenes, and upbeat music for funny scenes.

YouTube and Spotify have excellent, ready-made playlists to choose from. There is also non-verbal music if you find lyrics distracting.

Special Wearables:

Sometimes what we need is a special item to wear, i.e. a favourite writing shirt or a special necklace. Take painters, for example. Once they don an apron, they are ready to paint.

Try keeping some jewellery especially for writing, so when you put them on, your mind gets the cue and thinks creatively. Oh! Hats count as well.

Time & Place:

The most basic ritual is to set a time and place for your writing. This is also a great habit builder to make sure you get your word count in for the day. Pick a time you know you’ll not be disturbed for around an hour. Night owls versus day larks – when are you at your most creative?

Picking a time and sticking with it is the default, but if you have an unpredictable schedule, then that’s unrealistic and stress-inducing. I have tried fixing a time for years, but once I had kids, it was impossible to keep that exact time every day. Emergencies happen in which I need to drop everything I am doing to fetch the kids, run an errand, get something fixed, get that last-minute gift or art supplies for a project, go to the doctor, etc. The list goes on.

Be kind to yourself and don’t fix a time. Try this instead: Set a time, let’s say one hour, to write in the day. You do not need to write for one hour in one go. Split the time up around your unpredictable schedule, but make sure that before you go to bed, you have completed that one hour.

Regarding place: It could be somewhere in your home, neighbourhood, a special cafe, or a spot in a park. It all depends on your personality.

If you find yourself in a loop of procrastination, try writing some place different from your usual spot. You do not need to do this every time, but only when necessary to jumpstart your creativity. Join a ‘Shut Up And Write’ group to stave stagnant thoughts.

Meditation:

Meditation has always been one staple in thinking clearly. There are books and apps that can guide you through meditation, but it’s best to learn from a teacher. Once you have the basics, it’s a matter of practice to get into the right state of mind.

Morning Pages:

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, created the Morning Pages ritual. Once you wake up, you need to write three pages of absolutely anything you want. The pages do not have to be useful either. ‘Creative coughing’ is what I like to call it. Basically, you are doing a bit of mental yoga to greet the sun, and this ritual can be done by anyone, not just creatives.

You can also use the three pages as part of your one-hour assigned writing if you are experiencing writer’s block. Since you may write whatever you want, why not try brainstorming too? Or note-taking for your work in progress?

Bullet Journals and Planners:

Some people have sworn by these, but the reviews are mixed. Habit trackers, whether they are apps or ready-made journals, can help you tabulate your daily word count, time spent writing, and other habits. It gives you a visual on your progress and allows you to identify patterns in your work habits. Others have said they found the trackers restrictive and time-consuming. You know yourself best, so be honest and use what works for you.

Here is an example of a really nice planner by Legend Planner. They come in various colours, have many stickers and cover months, weeks and days.

Lone Wolf or Flock:

Many people say writing is lonely work, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve found that joining a ‘Shut Up and Write’ session really gets me writing. It’s not competition, more like camaraderie, and if that is what you need to get words on the page, then find yourself a like-minded group.

Last note: I’ve mentioned difficulties in sitting down and writing. If you are finding it hard to write, or even create a ritual, this might be a symptom of something else. If procrastination isn’t something new to you, it may result from ongoing stress or depression. It’s important to get help to remove the blocks in your life. Talk to someone if you need to.