It’s that time of year again. Here in New England, all the snow is melting, and the days are growing longer, and the sun is shining brighter, and wow! What a mess is revealed, from the dusty furniture and the dirty windows inside to the detritus-filled gutters and the weedy, overgrown gardens. But don’t stop there, your writing life could use some spring cleaning, too.
Declutter your office. There’s nothing like a purging of paperwork and paper clips and project files to set you—and your subconscious—free. Take a tip from Marie Kondo and get rid of everything in your office that does not give you joy. Keep what inspires you, emboldens you, and enlightens you.
Organize your research. Looking through all those notes and photos and maps and brochures you’ve been collecting as you write one project after another not only reminds you of all the great ideas you’ve had and synthesized and transformed into writing, it’s bound to suggest new ideas for new projects—or fresh starts for those you may have abandoned too soon.
Paint the walls. There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to invigorate a room—and everyone in it. When Alice Hoffman first started writing, she would paint her office a new color—“the color of the novel,” as she put it—to envelope herself in the new story. You might do the same.
Let the light in. Lose the curtains, the shutters, the blinds—and let the light in. Wash those windows, and take in that clearer, cleaner view. From view to vision to brave new creative work.
Let the fresh air in. Your windows are clean now, so open them. Let the fresh air in—and feel, smell, taste the difference. As you breathe new life into your office, ask yourself what stale ideas and processes and storylines you need to breathe new life into now.
Let the distractions go. Let Spring awaken you to the rhythms of nature, and to the rhythms of your own writing life. Lose the social media, lose the tech, lose the noise of the modern world, and go deep into your own writer’s mind.
Learn something new. Take a class, not necessarily a writing class, although that’s fine. But you can learn to garden, or play pickle ball, or speak French. Learning something new wakes you (and your writer’s brain) up, just as Spring wakes up creatures of all kinds.
Plant something new. Give your writer’s brain something to grow, and something to grow on. Try writing a story in a different sub-genre, or a different setting, or a different era. Try a different point of view, or a different structure, or a different medium. Plant something new—and watch it grow.
Get outside. Too many of us have been stuck inside all winter, and now’s the time to break out. Set up a writing nook on your porch or in your garden. Or find a quiet corner in your local park. Study after study shows that being outside in nature jumpstarts creativity. In fact, go outside for a “writer’s walk” or a “plot picnic,” can boost your creative thinking by 50% or more. Just be sure to turn off your phone.
Take a trip. Spring is the perfect time to hit the road. Research that far-flung setting, even it’s only the next town over. Visit new places, meet new people, experience new cultures—it’s all fodder for your writing brain. You’ll come home bursting with ideas for new stories. Now all you need to do is clean up your deck, claim your writing spot, and get to work!
This post originally appeared on Career Authors