Skip to content

No Talking Please

It’s not possible for a creative person to continually draw from the well of inspiration without occasionally stopping to refill the source. This summer take some time to fill your well.

Summer Assignment

What inspires you? Is it music? Dance? Painting? Swimming? Walking? Climbing? Canoeing? Gardening? It is a firm summer assignment to take some time to enjoy what you love.

Be really selfish and do whatever it is that makes your heart soar. Do this alone. Give yourself the freedom to completely indulge in one of your interests without any distractions, interruptions, or demands from anyone else.

Buy a single ticket to a concert, or other non-verbal performance. Spend a few hours wandering around a museum alone. See some new exhibit or part of the permanent collection that you’ve never seen before. Take some time to enjoy nature or revel in the Great Outdoors. Wander around a public park or flower garden on your own.

No Words Please

See and do exactly what you want for one hour all on your own. Whatever you do, don’t go to a movie or a play. The object of this exercise is to get away from actors and dialogue and to find rest, renewal, and refreshment elsewhere. Find an activity that doesn’t involve words.

Experiment with something new. If you’ve never seen a professional dance performance, buy a ticket and see what one is like. Seek out an odd or unusual museum. Explore a neglected area of the countryside or an unexplored corner of your city.

Ride a bus and watch the world go by. People watch. Give your unconscious mind time to reflect and create by doing or thinking about something else. If nothing else, take a long hot bath filled with scented bubbles. Turn the lights down low and play some soft, soothing music. Relax, enjoy and be a bit dreamy.

No comment yet, add your voice below!


Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Write your screenplay in one hour a day. Laurie breaks down the screenwriting process into clear daily steps. Based on Laurie’s acclaimed UCLA Masters in Screenwriting course. VIEW IN SHOP

Create a visual map for a character’s emotional journey. Pull stories from character rather from rote story structure beats. Some of the largest international media companies, use this in story and character development.

VIEW IN SHOP

A clear concise guide for writers and producers to have by their side as they embark on a project. It gives a really vital reminder of what is key for story success.

VIEW IN SHOP