Flipping Edison to Solve the Dreaded Problem

Slow your brain down to defeat writer's block.

You have writer's block, but what if I told you there are 1,000,000 things you could write about right now without research?

Well, there are.

You have lived long enough to have gathered enough input to fill an entire library of books.

Neuroscientists say that we are processing an enormous amount of information at any given nanosecond. The problem isn't lack of input.

It's overload.

We are made to keep only a few things in conscious awareness. Even when we're focusing on one thing, our minds and nervous systems are picking up a gazillion more. As a result, we know stuff we don't know we know.

Writer's block happens to me when there are too many insignificant things holding the best places front of mind. How can I cut through them to get to the gold?

Furthermore, if I'm trying to hear what the Holy Spirit might have to say, He's more likely to be whispering among the hidden than He is to be elbowing his way through emails, noises, negative self-talk and other distractions.

Flipping Edison's Maxim

I was reminded this week of a famous quote by Thomas Edison, the electric sunshine man. He is supposed to have said, "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." By this he means grinding is the key to innovating.

But what if it's the opposite?

What if the key to innovating—in our case, getting unblocked—is not working harder, that is, writing harder? What if it's going slower to give more room for inspiration?

I figured this out by accident in the process of preaching, and what I learned about breaking through the noise to know what to say in a sermon I have applied again and again to breaking through the same noise to know what to write.

Here's what happened:

I love to preach through books of the Bible without necessarily knowing what the sermon will be about before I prepare the text (expository preaching).

One of my favorite ways to study a passage of Scripture is to slowly hand write the Bible text in my best penmanship. The time it takes to do that and the concentration it takes seems to be just the thing I need to access all the good ideas, which then come bubbling up to the surface, giving me my sermon material.

It never fails. Never.

So when it comes to writer's block, I just do the same thing. I start writing slowly and neatly by hand, concentrating on the shape of the letters. If I'm writing about a certain topic, this could be copy work from another writer on the same topic. My brain gets digging for gold, and ideas begin to flow. I'm unstuck and off to the races.

Why This Works

There's actually a good reason why writing slowly by hand works the way it does. Neuroscientists have found that handwriting activates more of your brain than typing does. It pulls in the areas that handle movement, attention, memory, and emotion all at once. That combination creates deeper neural connections and helps the mind settle into focus.

A 2024 study at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that writing by hand produced "widespread brain connectivity," especially in regions tied to learning and recall (Askvik, van der Meer, & van der Weel, Frontiers in Psychology, 2024). The researchers noticed that the careful, physical act of shaping each letter created stronger engagement across the brain than pressing keys ever could.

That's what I've been doing without realizing it. When I slow down and form each letter with care, my thoughts stop racing ahead of my words. My hand and my mind begin to move together. The noise drops away. My attention narrows. The Holy Spirit seems to have more room to whisper.

Writing slowly isn't just an old-fashioned habit. It's a way of bringing your whole self—mind, body, and spirit—into alignment. You calm your nervous system, and as you do, the deeper thoughts begin to surface. The very act of writing becomes prayerful.

Source: Askvik, E. O., van der Meer, A. L. H., & van der Weel, F. R. (2024). Writing by hand leads to widespread brain connectivity: An EEG study. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1298597

Wondering what else might work to access these places, I asked everybody's favorite robot to give us 100 ideas. He said, 

“Perfect. You're building a kind of Writer's Rule of Life—a full spectrum of ways to slow down, reset the nervous system, and listen for God's whisper beneath the noise. Below is an expanded master list of 100 ways to quiet your mind, awaken creativity, and tune your spirit. It keeps your pastoral–practical rhythm: contemplative, physical, artistic, and relational all woven together.”

100 Ways to Slow Down, Listen, and Create

Stillness and Silence

1. Sit in silence for five minutes.
2. Practice breath prayer: inhale "Come," exhale "Lord Jesus."
3. Spend an hour without speaking.
4. Turn off every screen for one full evening.
5. Sit in an empty church or sanctuary when no one's there.
6. Watch a candle flame and match your breathing to it.
7. Sit outside at dawn and just listen to the world wake up.
8. Go to bed early one night, on purpose.
9. Turn off notifications for an entire day.
10. Watch shadows move across a wall without multitasking.

Movement and Body Awareness

11. Take a slow walk with no destination.
12. Stretch for ten minutes.
13. Do ten deep squats or slow pushups—feel your body working.
14. Go for a walk after meals instead of scrolling.
15. Do breathing exercises before writing.
16. Practice gentle yoga or tai chi.
17. Dance in your kitchen for one song.
18. Work in the garden—bare hands in the dirt.
19. Swim laps slowly and rhythmically.
20. Take the stairs mindfully, feeling each step.

Writing and Reflection

21. Handwrite a paragraph in your best penmanship.
22. Copy Scripture slowly by hand.
23. Journal freely without editing.
24. Write a single honest sentence.
25. Write a letter to God about your fears.
26. Write a letter to your younger self.
27. Write down three questions you don't have answers to.
28. Keep an "idea notebook."
29. Re-read old journals and circle phrases that still speak.
30. Write out a prayer of thanksgiving for your creative gift.

Spiritual Practices

31. Read one psalm a day aloud.
32. Try Lectio Divina with a short passage.
33. Attend a weekday communion service.
34. Take a Sabbath rest from all productivity.
35. Pray for five minutes before you open your laptop.
36. Fast from social media for one day.
37. Write down a single word you sense from God and meditate on it all day.
38. Walk a prayer labyrinth or trace one with your finger.
39. Listen to worship music quietly, eyes closed.
40. Light a candle before you write and blow it out when you're done.

Sensory Grounding

41. Notice five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.
42. Eat a meal slowly, savoring every bite.
43. Smell fresh coffee and thank God for your senses.
44. Stand barefoot in grass.
45. Sit by water—a river, lake, or fountain—and listen.
46. Touch tree bark and study its pattern.
47. Notice the way sunlight moves through leaves.
48. Walk in the rain without an umbrella.
49. Watch clouds form and dissolve.
50. Smell an old book before you open it.

Reading and Input

51. Read poetry aloud.
52. Read one chapter of Scripture with no agenda.
53. Read a biography of someone who lived faithfully and quietly.
54. Read a favorite childhood book again.
55. Read something outside your comfort zone.
56. Limit daily news intake to five minutes.
57. Read a printed Bible, not a digital one.
58. Memorize one verse and carry it in your heart for a week.
59. Read a few pages of Wendell Berry or Annie Dillard in silence.
60. Read your own writing as if you'd never seen it before.

Rest and Renewal

61. Take a nap.
62. Go to bed an hour earlier for a week.
63. Schedule a full day with no tasks.
64. Spend a weekend without your phone.
65. Lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling.
66. Float in water and let go of every thought.
67. Take a day off after finishing a big project.
68. Drink water before coffee.
69. Eat a slow breakfast without multitasking.
70. Take a break before you think you need one.

Creativity and Play

71. Doodle for five minutes.
72. Paint with no goal.
73. Make music or sing alone.
74. Rearrange your workspace.
75. Cook something from scratch.
76. Build or repair something with your hands.
77. Play an instrument badly, just for fun.
78. Visit an art museum alone.
79. Do a small creative act for someone else.
80. Write a poem on the back of a napkin.

Community and Conversation

81. Have coffee with someone who makes you think.
82. Ask a friend what they're learning lately.
83. Tell your story to someone younger.
84. Mentor another writer.
85. Join a small group that prays together.
86. Share your struggles honestly in community.
87. Listen more than you talk.
88. Ask your spouse or friend what they see God doing in you.
89. Attend a live concert or play and feel the collective silence.
90. Visit an older person and ask about their life.

Environment and Simplicity

91. Declutter one small area.
92. Keep a clean desk for a week.
93. Write outside instead of inside.
94. Light incense or diffuse essential oils while writing.
95. Open a window for fresh air.
96. Turn off artificial lights and write by lamplight or candlelight.
97. Keep one plant on your desk and care for it daily.
98. Walk in nature at night under the stars.
99. Visit a cemetery and reflect on legacy.
100. End each day by writing one sentence of gratitude.

I hope at least one of these helps you find what's in you, or even better, what's in God!

God Bless,

Jeff B. Miller 

‍