Writing is hard. Like really hard.
Being an English major in college, I took a lot of writing and literature classes. I took courses on editorial writing, poetry, creative nonfiction, 19th-century fiction, Shakespeare One and Two, African-American Literature, and many others.
However, the best course I took was my first one. It was a general creative writing class at my local community college. My instructor was a middle-aged, free-spirited hippie with a thick southern drawl. He sported a mustache, too.
Ironically, my AP (advanced placement) Literature teacher in my senior year of high school was a free spirit, too. She was a fantastic teacher and inspired me to go into writing. But that's another story.
I quickly learned that many people were more than willing to spill their souls on the page and read it to the class if they were brave.
On the first day of class, my instructor pulled out a timer and set it. The assignment? Write whatever is on your mind. Don't stop until the timer beeps.
So there I was, redirecting my train of thought from my brain to the paper. At first, my brain jumped all over the place: This is a silly assignment. I'm hungry. My hand hurts from writing like this.
Then something changed.
My thoughts got more organized. I started contemplating ideas about the world, God, myself, politics, etc. My brain picked a topic and ran with it.
The timer beeped.
I skimmed through what I wrote. I was shocked. My thoughts formed something coherent. I felt like I could've given Socrates a run for his money!
My instructor asked if anyone wanted to read what they wrote. A couple of students went before me, and the class laughed at the randomness of our transcribed inner worlds.
That's freewriting.
Start writing, and don't stop until time runs out. Don't worry about grammar, coherence, or spelling.
This method is called freewriting. It's a technique writers and authors often use to brain dump - clear your mind and generate fresh ideas. The biggest benefit? Clarity. That's useful for anyone, whether you're a writer or not!
At its core, freewriting is a form of journaling.
I've drifted from journaling in recent years, partly out of laziness. It's so much easier to write something quickly on Google Notes, Microsoft Onenote, or Notion and then suffer the nightmare of trying to find it later.
AI has made things better and worse for me, but that is another conversation.
Journaling is an excellent antidote to our productivity-obsessed culture. But it's easy to fall into the trap of overcomplicating it. There's no shortage of fancy journaling products or YouTube productivity hacks promising to change your life.
Freewriting is great because anyone can do it, and it's an easy way to gain clarity and boost creativity. It's a warm-up exercise, but you can tailor it to specific topics in your life.
Need ideas for an event? Freewrite.
Need clarity on a relationship? Freewrite.
Need to set career or family goals? Freewrite.
Want to start a business? Freewrite.
Want to get smarter with your finances? Freewrite.
You can put guidelines to make this more focused, but the key is to write something. If you overthink this, you've already shot yourself in the foot.
If you are creative and want a challenge, you could characterize yourself and observe your thoughts. That puts some distance between you and the page and uncovers hidden doubts, fears, or assumptions.
William Faulkner used a similar method in As I Lay Dying and The Sound and the Fury to reveal the chaotic inner lives of his characters. In literature, this is called Stream of Consciousness.
Whether freewriting or Stream Of Consciousness, you're putting everything out there: your thoughts, emotions, and fears. Whatever pops into your head pops onto the paper. Resist the temptation to read what you wrote before you finish.
You may be surprised by the hidden gems buried in your mind.
At that point, you become an explorer. After reading what you wrote, highlight the parts that stand out.
Why did you write that?
Take a break, come back, set a timer, and write again. Like a submarine captain, you're diving deeper into your thoughts, exploring a problem, idea, or curiosity until you reach clarity.
This method, my friends, is where personal growth happens. It can be a spiritual discipline fueling study, prayer, or self-reflection.
This low-effort tool can help you tackle problems or ideas more efficiently if you have a busy lifestyle.
Instead of trying to quiet your mind in our noisy world so you can focus on getting stuff done, you're opening the door and letting it run in a corral as long and as fast as it wants while you watch.
You're writing but with freedom. This freedom could open doors, opportunities, and ideas you didn't know existed. On the other side of that door? A version of yourself you haven't met yet!
Live Free!
Here’s a challenge for you: Grab a piece of paper, set a timer for one minute and write! How did it go? Reply to this email or let me know in the comments!
Excellent write up, Jordan! I have found the same to be true for me, that writing--especially freewriting--gives order to my mind.
Not to be self promoting, but to forgo restating a point I made elsewhere, I'll include the link: https://ploughmanpost.substack.com/p/on-private-prayer
Thanks for sharing!
I love this, Jordan, because it mirrors something I do every day. I write one thought per day while journaling. It just comes to me, and I write. I do not give it thought, body, expression, or assessment. I just write, and when it is finished, I am usually surprised at what comes up. It is so refreshing and revealing.