Creative walks: Taking a walk helps me write better
I love writing, putting words to paper or screen is something I have always been passionate about. I have long realized that whenever I’m at a loss at what to write, I just take a walk. Taking a long walk in the morning or evening, while observing the things and people around me, always leave me with creative juice of things to write about.
That’s why I was not surprised to read about a Stanford study that supported what I have long realized from years of experience:
Stanford researchers found that walking boosts creative inspiration. They examined creativity levels of people while they walked versus while they sat. A person’s creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when walking.
There might be good reasons for this phenomenon, but that’s not of importance to me at this juncture. I know that taking a walk works. After taking those walks, I often have two or more new ideas to write about. The walks also help me to contemplate on near and remote issues in the world around me. I see myself as a philosophical person, always trying to find meaning to things and events; and a student of human nature, always trying to understand why humans behave the way they do. Taking walks helps me to reflect on these subjects, get some clarity of thought and drive at certain conclusions.
I’m an observant person, and I soak in a lot information around me as I go about my daily routines of waking up, getting the latest from the news and social media, preparing and going to work on a workday, getting engrossed in my work until I close to get home after a busy day. When I’m super busy, I don’t stop to take stock of much. But, when I am less busy and I’m able to take some leisure and maybe a stroll, some of those things I saw or heard earlier come back to sharp focus, and I'm able to work through some of the significant events of my day. Thus, certain things that I didn’t make much of at the time suddenly become things of prime importance, whereas, other things I held as significant pale into irrelevance. Getting a good night sleep gives a me much clarity, so also taking a walk when I wake up, especially on a duty-free day or weekend.
I once read a piece where the writer said that it helps to have an audio recorder or any material to take notes while taking a creative walk. For me, if I go out with my phone, I quickly type in a reminder in my phone with a note on the idea that I want to write on later. And that has proved to be helpful.
I have given a number of seminar presentations or talks over the years, and my long walks help me to prepare for such presentations. First when I get the topic, I try read about it in order to know more on the subject. Then, during my walk, I mentally unpack the key points of the topic, and try to see how best to approach the presentation. I think about my audience and how best they would benefit from my presentation. Often, when I get home and open my laptop, I find out that I’m in much better mental space to work on my presentation.
A good friend of mine once told me that the best way to know a place is to take a walk in that place. I agree 💯. So, as I take my walk, I take note of my neighbourhood: new buildings, new shops and restaurants, newcomers, and the likes. I’ve discovered new eateries and joints where I can get a variety of tasty meals. I have made friends and acquaintances in the course of my walks. On the other hand, I also take note of street dogs or domesticated animals especially the ones that appear aggressive. If some parts of the neighbourhood are too quiet or isolated or have suspiciously looking elements, I take note so as not to take such routes again. Better be safe than sorry.🤷
I have learnt a lot, written a lot and taught a lot with the thoughts and reflections gained from my creative walks. In good and safe times, such walks make one of the best parts of my day. So, let’s take a walk, shall we?🚶♀️🚶♂️🚶