9 Ways To Practice Intuitive Writing for Flow
Before I get to the practice of intuitive writing, I like to look at traditional definitions.
First up, Merriam-Webster defines intuition as “the power or faculty of attaining direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.”
Next, the Wikipedia definition, “Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge, without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; gut feelings; inner sensing; inner insight to unconscious pattern-recognition; and the ability to understand something instinctively, without any need for conscious reasoning.”
I like to look to Wikipedia for definitions since the results are crowd-sourced. And then I apply what it means to me.
Intuition is a knowing we often have trouble finding the words to describe.
Intuition comes through differently for all of us.
Intuition can come through…
As a voice
Through mental pictures
A feeling somewhere in the body (a “gut feeling”)
People often describe intuitive knowings as downloads. They come from your soul, higher self, God, Jesus, or the Divine.
How your intuition speaks to you is unique to you. Mine comes through as a knowing (I resisted this for a long time). I often know something in an instant. It can be easy to miss if I’m not paying attention or thinking too much. And if I’m thinking too much, it means I’m not present.
Intuition isn’t hard facts. This makes explaining my knowing to some people tricky. It’s trusting the wisdom we get without seeing data. If data is available, I can take my intuitive nudge and see what the data says for confirmation.
We can’t think our way to a strong intuition. In fact, if we’re all up in our heads overthinking and overanalyzing, we might not be able to hear, feel, or see our intuition.
That’s not to say we can’t look at facts and use our intuition to discern what’s aligned for us.
Know that instinct is different from intuition. Instinct is an automatic response — breathing, jumping at noises, recoiling as water splashes your face.
Intuitive writing is writing with our body, not our mind, as the driving force.
You’ve likely done intuitive writing without thinking about it. Do you recall those times when the writing felt so easy and just flowed out of you? The words fell out of your fingertips effortlessly. It feels immensely satisfying. And then, if it was writing you shared with an audience — you may have noticed that your audience loved it.
And when you read it back to yourself, you wonder, “Who wrote that?” And probably, “This writing is pretty fucking great.”
This happens to me a lot because I've been practicing writing for a long time. When I’m thinking and trying to edit as I go, the writing goes slower, it’s tedious and feels like a slog. No wonder so many people claim they hate writing.
The key to loving your writing practice is intuitive writing.
When we quit forcing and allow the words to show up, trusting they’ll be there, is when writing becomes like breathing.
Whatever you’re writing — your website copy, a story, a newsletter, a sales email, a social caption — when you create from your intuition, your ego stays quiet, and you can trust that your words are authentic.
Here are 9 ways you can start practicing intuitive writing today.
1 . Heal your wounds
It’s challenging to discern if your intuition is talking or your past wounding is creating projections in an effort to keep you safe. The more you heal, the quicker you can intuit the most aligned move.
2. Look after your temple
Garbage in means garbage out. Eating clean — means plenty of fresh spring water, green juices, smoothies, raw food, whole foods, and fruit — your body begins to clear. When your body receives life-giving foods, you’re a clearer container to recognize your intuition. My best writing happens when I’ve had lots of whole, fresh foods and not a lot of sugar. Get to know, understand, and trust the messages your body is sharing — or maybe even screaming. Our bodies are intelligent. Every gut rumble, rash, or pang has a message. To become present in your body, try movement practices like yoga, walking outdoors, and sitting quietly.
3. Write morning pages
We make our brains slow down when we write with pen and paper. With this more deliberate pace, we can notice the sensations arising in our bodies. My favorite pen and paper practice is morning pages — a practice that author Julia Cameron outlines in her book The Artist’s Way. It’s three stream-of-consciousness pages of writing every morning. While the morning is the best time to get this out of the way so we can clear the cobwebs and get on with our day, I know lots of business owners who turn to their morning pages practice in the afternoons and evenings. Bring all those swirling thoughts to the page and let them out.
4. Write with pen and paper
Beyond morning pages, if the words aren’t flowing at the screen, try grabbing your pen and notebook and moving to another spot to sit. By simply moving your body, you’re taking a step to be more present. Feel your hand holding the pen. Notice where your hand grazes the paper. Pay attention to the friction as your pen glides across the page. Get to hear, know, understand, and, importantly, trust what your body is telling you while you write. Our bodies are wise. Every stomach rumble, rash, or ache has a message. To become present in the body, try movement practices like yoga, walking outdoors, and sitting quietly.
5. Explore writing prompts
A prompt can take you out of your typical thinking patterns and move you out of your comfort zone. Explore some writing prompts here, here, and here. Or, look around the room and write about something you see — a book that’s out of place on the shelf, a leaf from a plant contorted in an odd direction, the way the sunlight creates rainbows on the ceiling.
6. Write like you don’t have a backspace button
There’s no time to edit while writing if you move quickly at the page. Try setting a timer for 25 minutes or play with a Pomodoro timer for a few cycles. Write as fast as you can without stopping to correct typos or change words. No backspacing! I know that watching all that red underlining popping up can be distracting. I like to quickly scroll my page down so I don’t see it, and look out the window while I type. This keeps me from getting tempted to just make that quick little change. Resist the urge. You’ll scratch that editing itch later. When you treat writing and editing as two distinct activities, you’ll stay in your flow — where you can better hear your intuition.
7. No writing, just notice
Intuitive writing starts before we get to the page. Dedicate a day to noticing things. Sure, you probably have work to do — and when you’re taking a walk, try walking the opposite direction from which you’d normally travel, try a new street, try leaving your earbuds at home, and as you move throughout your day, look at things you wouldn’t normally look at. Try this noticing practice with no agenda and no forcing. The only goal is to see things. Great writers are great noticers — of sights, sounds, and smells.
8. Practice intuitive editing
Before diving into a draft piece to start cleaning it up, simply read it. Read the whole thing from start to finish and then start where your eyes naturally want to go. Trust it. There are no rules that say you need to start writing or editing at the beginning. Start wherever you want.
Play with your intuition daily with some seemingly small decisions in your work. Open up a draft blog, website page, or email you’ve been working on and move quickly. Imagine unplugging your brain for a minute and letting your hands choose. Use the first word that comes to you. Say it how you’d naturally say it without thinking. Trust yourself to use the “right” words for you.
9. Practice making writing decisions with your intuition
If you’re deciding on a topic to write about, choose one at a time and pretend you’ve selected it. Notice if your body pulls forward, or you feel an upward motion. That’s a yes. Or, on the flip side, when you choose a topic, do you feel a downward pull or feel like you’re leaning back? That’s a no.
Quiet your busy brain and sit with each decision for a quick moment. Your body will tell you. The key to making quick decisions in your writing is learning to trust it fully. If you only follow your intuition half the time, it will become challenging to distinguish intuition from everyone else’s voice.
You don’t need to call yourself a writer to try intuitive writing.
Be someone who writes. Everyone has a story, and yours is uniquely yours. Too many creative business owners are afraid to write and share their stories because a teacher or parent told them they weren’t good writers. When we write what’s true, it connects us to others. Your story may be exactly what someone needs to read today.
If you can find ease in your writing process by letting your body lead the way, you can find ease in other areas of your life. Intuitive writing is about embodying unadulterated devotion — for words on a page, our craft, and building our bodies of work.
Your intuition will continually nudge you toward what’s most aligned for you. It might not always be easy or comfortable (often, it’s neither), but it will be what’s best for you. When you lead a life delegating decisions to your intuition, decision-making is easy. It doesn’t require overthinking, listing pros and cons, only getting quiet to make sure it’s your inner voice you’re hearing and not the input of others.
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