If you're not familiar with progressive relaxation, here's a complete course:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/har/les1.htm

==> Two: Write down your creative impulses

When you're completely relaxed, gently focus on your breathing. You'll find that your breaths gradually deepen more and more, and that they slow right down. This is effect you want.

When your breathing has slowed, keep focusing on your breathing, but also think about what creative work you'd like to do. What would you like to write, if you could?

Just daydream for five minutes. If a creative idea comes to you, write it down, then drift back into your daydream.

You may not get any creative ideas while you're daydreaming. They may come later as you're doing something else. This is fine. Your right brain doesn’t "think" in language. It uses feelings and emotions to communicate. Your left brain translates these right- brain impulses into words. When you first start to actively try to get creative ideas, communication between two sides of your brain is slow. It will become more rapid more you practice.

==> Three: Follow through on an impulse immediately if you can

Got a creative idea? Great.

If you can, follow through on it immediately. If you can’t, write down enough of idea so that you can recall it easily later in day. Vital: also write down any images which are floating through your mind. What mental pictures do you see? These are additional parts of creative impulse that your left brain hasn't yet translated into words. Capture them now by writing them down.

You can work with intensively with your right brain images by using Win Wenger's Image Streaming process. Here's how ---

http://www.debateit.net/improvethought/imagestreaming.htm

Some writers find that they can immediately write an entire 2000 word article, or a chapter of a book after they clear their mind. This process is very powerful.

==> Four: Drop judgments --- enjoy making a mess

You've followed through, and you're writing. However, it’s messy. It doesn’t completely make sense.

Excellent!! This is exactly what you want. It's your guarantee that idea you're developing is original. All creation starts with a mess.

Work on project again tomorrow. Keep working. Chances are that you're making a creative breakthrough. Remember it's your left brain that's making these early judgments. You can safely ignore them.

==> Five: Never assume that you "know" anything

You've cleared your mind, and when you read through your creative ideas later you get scared to death. You can't do this. You can't write a complete book, or submit your article proposal to Redbook. And you surely can’t dig that manuscript out of your bottom drawer and whip it in shape to send to a publisher.

Of course you can. Remember, your left brain is NOT creative. Clearing your mind so that you can let your creative right brain work will convince you that you DO have lots of creative ideas.

Unfortunately, your left brain doesn’t trust them. That's OK. Remember that part of your brain that's belittling all your ideas is your left brain.

Ignore it. Trust your creative impulses and follow through. Clear your mind first, to muffle your left brain. Then let your right brain do creative work.

Write before you look. That's entire process. Try it. You'll amaze yourself.

Remember: creative impulse that gave you idea, also knows how to carry out idea. So if you've got an impulse to write a book, write it. You already have everything you need to do it.

*** Resource Box ***

To read more articles by Angela Booth, visit Digital- e Web site--Information for writers and creatives. Ebooks, free ezines, Creatives Club. Love to write? Turn your talent into a business! http://www.digital-e.biz/