All You Need to Know About Freewriting and Its Abundant Benefits

Each day, new ideas and trends are brought up on the Internet, and users are encouraged to try or even implement them in their daily lives. Whether they are searching for tips on how to be more productive or looking for tricks on how to embrace mindfulness. There are plenty of methods out there for everyone. And the creative and lifestyle palette is colorful in particular.

If you are a writer, you surely have heard of the freewriting technique. Fundamentally, it is the early stage of the writing process when you generate ideas for further development. In contrast to brainstorming, freewriting is a bit more complex strategy. It helps combat writer’s block, which is often caused by high expectations. Freewriting can relieve you from those, as well as negative thoughts and feelings. It is a great practice for writers and for people looking for emotional balance, creativity, and inspiration in general.

Let’s now have a look at how freewriting works and what are its major benefits.

What exactly is freewriting?

Developed in 1973 by Peter Elbow, this writing strategy was designed to increase the flow of ideas. It comprises writing for a certain amount of time (or a set number of pages) with raised consciousness. Writers usually commit to a 15-minute exercise a day, which can be around 1-2 pages.

Also, it is suggested to write in hand, as there is a connection between the hand and the brain. Writing with a pen on paper requires more focus than writing on a laptop or a typewriter, making the brain work harder. We can, thus, produce more brilliant ideas.

There is no emphasis on quality, so grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes don’t matter. Just write whatever comes in your head, any thought that is on your mind. You don’t have to worry about what is gonna come out because it is substantial that you put a pen on paper.

When to free-write?

It is recommended to practice this technique in the morning. During the night, our subconscious processes the events of the previous day. The next day, we wake up with some new opinions and perspectives. By putting those into words, we clear the clutter and start our day with clarity and completion.

But of course, it is better to free write any time of the day than no time.

What to do with the text?

It is a well-known fact that if you want to resolve a problem, you should work on it hard and then step back for a while. Again, you will leave the subconscious to do the work, and in no time, you will have some new, bright perspectives for your project.

So whether you are in the process of creating a piece of some fine art or a digital marketing ad, read the written text to pull out those hidden gems. People who are rather seeking peace of mind throw away or even burn the texts.

So what are the actual benefits of freewriting?

With regular freewriting, you can benefit from much more than just combating writer’s block and stressors and generating suggestions and solutions. Here are a few other advantages:

• builds self-confidence
• develops healthy habits
• unleashes honesty and authenticity
• promotes mindfulness
• increases the sense of clarity and focus

Also, if you are a learner of another language, Peter Elbow himself praised its perks of increasing fluency in a second language. You will stop focusing on accuracy and start producing written language quickly. Isn’t that great? So grab your pen and paper, and let’s go free writing!