How I Turned my Writing Practice into a Playground
Plus an Invitation to Write and Explore with me this October
After years of writing every day (or every weekday at least), and years of coaching other writers, I'm well aware of how common it is to have a complex, and perhaps less-than-great relationship to writing. I’ve seen it in countless fellow writers whether journalists, or academics, fiction writers, or poets, and I’ve seen it in myself. Thanks to toxic jobs, tight deadlines, imposter syndrome, or a million other reasons, the joy of writing, the whole reason we started writing in the first place, falls to the wayside.
For me, misguided expectations around success, productivity (and namely, around never being productive enough), and a strong adherence to grind culture all contributed to the thing I love becoming a chore.
Even writing fun things, or talking about my writing with friends felt like a slog: I was stuck in the belief that my writing had to "feel like work" in order to count as real, meaningful work.
By cramming my writing in a box, I was devaluing the very things that make my writing valuable and pleasurable to my readers: Namely, the passion and joy I infuse into it when I'm in my flow and doing what I love.
In my writing practice, this shift from joy to chore happened gradually:
I never really stopped loving writing, but instead I subconsciously started centering more admin-y, anxiety-inducing tasks in an effort to convince myself that the work was hard and thus was real and worth doing.
And I started to impose more restrictions on my writing itself (more deadlines for projects that didn't need them, taking on less fulfilling writing contracts, etc.) that pulled me further and further away from the writing I feel called to do.
Coming back to my writing voice not only meant giving myself space and permission to write how and what I wanted, but it also meant playing with different forms, and exploring different themes, which allowed my creative mind to stretch itself into unfamiliar territory and see if it felt at home.
I liken it to trying on an outfit in a store that's different from anything you already own, and rather than rejecting it outright, pausing to see if it looks good and feels good.
This is how I learned, for example, that food writing is a central aspect of my creative self, even after a years-long hiatus during my PhD.
It's also how I learned that I thrive when exploring a chosen topic through the intersection of multiple disciplines or perspectives. I do best when thriving at the juncture of my many ideas and experiences, rather than traveling down one isolated path.
I also learned some things my writing is not: I'm not a humor writer, for example, though I'd like to thing my writing has humorous elements from time to time.
But before I put pen to page, I had to create space (mentally, physically, and in my schedule!) to allow my own creative voice to flow.
That happened in a few ways, including:
Building in a space in my calendar for unstructured, creative writing: Even just 10 minutes can yield a wealth of words and insights, even just once a week.
Setting boundaries around that time: No phones, no meetings, just me and a journal or a laptop.
My writing time is a sacred commitment to myself and to my belief that my words are worth hearing: This time deserves the same respect as any other commitment in my calendar.And most importantly, making that time pleasurable and fun: I have a cozy blanket on my chair and nice candles. I buy myself flowers to put in my writing space, and I just generally do everything I can to create an environment I want to be in.
Even if you don't have a dedicated writing space with candles and flowers, you'd be amazed just how transformative it can be just to take the time to write, wherever you can, in a space you make as enjoyable as possible.
Now, because the fun stuff comes first, the rest of my work life feels more fun or at least easier to manage. And because I consistently try to expand my writing practice, I feel like I'm always growing as a writer and watching with awe as that practice informs and nourishes my other creative practices, too.
Because my joyful, creative work is centered in my life, it allows me to let joy and creativity in more generally. I've never felt more tapped into my creative current, and it's a pleasure I wish for everyone to experience, whatever your creative path(s) might be.
Building a Writing Playground
Writing in our own, true voices is one of the most powerful gifts any of us can give to the world.
But, like I did, we often muffle our writing voice to meet work expectations, or please others, or fit into some sort of a box we construct for ourselves. When we spend so long hiding that voice, will we still be able to hear it? I strongly believe the answer is yes.
After spending years engaging in a playful writing practice, I've been feeling eager to really dive into this practice with a group.
Writing from a place of curiosity, alongside other curious folks, helps us create the actual "time in the calendar" space to write. It also helps each of our creative practices grow, as we learn from each other's perspectives and practices, and collectively enjoy the nourishment of creating new work alongside other people.
By focusing on process, rather than outcome, we can appreciate the magic that writing truly is: When we write, we put our internal world into a tangible form that other people can experience.
And, by letting our writing flow from a place of enjoyment, we can more easily share the rich, world-changing, beautiful ideas we most want to put out into our communities.
Writing Playground: A New Kind of Writing Workshop
This October, I am so, so thrilled and proud to bring everything I've learned about joyful, curious writing into a virtual workshop.
Writing Playground is a creative and non-judgmental space to connect with writing as a playful, joyful, and curious practice.
I've created it to serve writers at all levels, professional and nonprofessional alike.
For four Saturdays in October, from 11-1 Eastern time, we'll join together to write, reflect, and collectively expand our practices into something both nourishing and productive.
Each session will include:
Weekly themes to ground us into different aspects of writing as play.
Collective free writing sessions around a variety of writing prompts.
Space for reflection on our writing practices and writing voices (with no pressure to share your drafts!)
And practical, nuts-and-bolts guidance for building a consistent writing practice, which allows your creativity to take the space in your life it deserves.
While it is loosely structured around food writing, you can take the prompts in whatever direction you'd like, and you certainly don't need to be a food writer (or a professional writer at all) to join us!
Between sessions, we'll share ideas, troubleshoot, brainstorm and, most importantly, celebrate our wins.
You'll leave with 8 new rough drafts, a wealth of practical and inspirational writing resources, recording of our sessions, and strong foundations for a sustainable, productive, and joyful writing practice.
I'm officially announcing the workshop to the world on Monday but you, dear newsletter subscribers, get the chance to sign up a few days early, which means priority placement in the workshop and on the waitlist (and early bird pricing).
To sign up, head here:
This has been years in the making, and is a way I've long felt called to serve the creative community, whether your creative work fills your days or only a few minutes a week, and I am so excited to finally bring it to light for you.
So here's my ask for you, whether or not you join me for Writing Playground:
This week, try writing just for the pleasure of it.
Spend even just a few minutes freewriting around whatever topic tickles your fancy at the moment, without worrying whether that writing can be used for anything else or if it's "good enough" to share.
Instead, just give yourself permission to write about the thing you want to write about, because you want to write it.
And if you feel called to do so, I hope you'll join us this October in our very first Writing Playground.