As PR professionals, our career is so heavily focused on writing – news releases, pitches, emails, blog posts like this, etc. We are all “idea people” full of creativity. But sometimes, as creatures of habit, we can get caught in the monotonous routine of writing in the same style for each client. It is great to have a system that allows us to write quickly and efficiently, but sometimes that comes at the cost of our underlying creativity. And after all, isn’t that supposed to be the bread and butter of what we do?
So what do you do to keep from falling into a routine? Answer: Don’t limit yourself.
When drafting content for a client, we educate ourselves as much as possible so we can write knowledgeably on the topic – especially complex ones. While this is a necessary step, we often have much to gain by exercising our writing chops beyond the subject matters covered by our day-to-day client base. Believe it or not, writing a movie review or sending a handwritten letter to an old friend can help renew a whole different layer of creativity that may have been hiding beneath your standard writing style.
As writers, we must continue finding new ways to stay fresh and keep the juices flowing. Here are some ideas every writer should consider.
Write for another outlet. Recently, I started writing for The Odyssey. I love this because it gives me an outlet where I can write about almost anything, express my views and get published. If you find yourself with the opportunity to contribute to an existing outlet, go for it. But, creating your own blog is equally as good – even better if you hold yourself accountable to regular, consistent posts. This forces you to stretch your brain in a way that it is not used during the day and think outside the box.
Make use of LinkedIn Pulse. If you do not have the time or resources to maintain your own blog, another option is to share content on LinkedIn Pulse. LinkedIn Pulse serves as a blog platform and news aggregate where you can share your own posts and follow the posts of others. The content you write and share will be visible to your connections, as well as to a broader industry network, based on the topic.
Keep a daily journal. Or weekly – whatever works for you. This could be about anything from a food log to daily happenings. For some, this may be less pressure than writing something that will be published. However, it is still a great way to put pen to paper and keep stretching your brain.
These are just a handful of creative outlets where writers can express their style and continue strengthening their talent outside of the daily work grind. Writing in all sorts of ways helps keep us on our toes and can make it easier to bring new ideas to the table at the office, too.
Fellow writers – anything else you recommend trying?