Whether you’re an aspiring author, have already been published, or are interested in crafting words for email lists, social media, or your own mental health, there is a struggle that many individuals share: creating the time and space to write. 

We live in a world that is full of noise. From the constant blare of a cacophony of voices trapped inside all manner of screens to the voices in our own minds pushing us to do ever more in an attempt to keep up, it is easy to feel overbooked, overstimulated, and overwhelmed. 

It is this state of mind – this state of being – that often has us sighing the word “someday” as a mantra for when things will slow down or time will become available in a way that allows us to breathe and make space for things we want. This applies as much to the art and craft of writing as it does to those who dream of travel, but feel stuck in their 9-5, or to those who desire to pick up a hobby or create a healthier habit “if only there were more time”.

If we’re not careful, minutes turn into days and weeks into years and before we know it, “someday” becomes a way of life, excused by competing priorities, rather than driven by our dreams and desires. 

So, today, I’m offering my humble perspective on making the time and space for anything you want in your life – albeit focused on the purposeful practice of writing.

1. Get clear on your priorities.
   • If dedicated time to write matters, then it is a priority. Make a list of your priorities and decide where your writing time falls. Also, create a list of everything that “gets in the way” and determine if those are indeed priorities or merely distractions. Then, look at schedules or daily habits surrounding your priorities and find an hour, at least 1x a week, that you can commit to.
2. Commit to the time in your schedule. Book it and communicate it.
   • Whoever the major players are in your life, let them know this is happening! Put it on your calendar, post it on the refrigerator, have a family meeting, etc. Not only does this help to make your commitment real, but it helps you to start drawing the necessary boundaries to protect your time.
3. Create the space without creating expectation.
   • While it is important to create a space for yourself that will encourage your ability to commit to the moment, this can often be where people get stuck. You don’t need to spend a great deal of money on the perfect desk or set of pens. You don’t have to only write at sunrise or sunset with a steaming cup of the perfect coffee blend tucked beside your notebook that is suddenly blooming with words. Find a space that is reasonable and yours and do what you can: put on headphones if there is noise, face a window for a glimpse of nature, ensure there is a blanket, sweater, or fan nearby to help with the temperature.
   • Once you get your space set, let things happen as they will. Not creating expectation means that you go in with an open mind. There is no word count or page volume that means your time has been “successful”. The biggest key to starting is just that: start. As you make this a regular habit, you’ll come to understand what you need and how your energy flows during this time. The more you let this time flow, the more you’ll want to return to it. This is a safe, expectation-free space filled with only invitation.
4. Give yourself permission to be distracted and a system to manage it.
   • Spoiler alert: Even published authors get bored, stare at blank pages, let their minds wander, and struggle to stay focused. It’s a beautifully-normal human experience. Instead of trying to avoid it, give yourself permission to be in it. Keep a note-pad next to your space to record things you know you need to follow-up on later when they pop into your mind, allow for doodles in the margins, and don’t force yourself to begin at the beginning, but rather wherever it is your heart is leading at this moment [for more on this, check out 1 Secret Ingredient for How to Start Writing!].
5. Don’t overcomplicate your process or be afraid to get messy.
   • Systems are a wonderful invention, but when you are creating your time to write, simplicity is your friend. I can speak from experience in the art of overcomplication. This is something I mastered a great deal of time ago and have had to work to dismantle. If you’re a digital writer, you don’t need a system of files or tags to determine the difference between writing documents, brainstorming documents, in-process pieces, and ones waiting to be published. If you’re a physical writer, you don’t need sections to your journal or a specificied color coding system. The goal of your writing time is for your mind to run free. The systems and processes you need, you will eventually discover and those can be put in place outside of your dedicated time.
   • At the risk of being repetitive, there is only one thing that matters here. You want this to be a safe, expectation-free space. In safe spaces, it is okay to be messy. In expectation-free spaces, there is no need for perfection. Allow your documents to be filled with red squiggly lines or your pages to be filled with lines or paragraphs that have been crossed out. There is freedom here. Embrace it!
6. Share your journey.
   • Consistency and the commitment to show up for yourself often has a great deal to do with how you feel before, during, and after occupying a space. When you can see and celebrate progress, when you know you are welcomed and invited in, when you watch your evolution and feel the momentum build, you tend to return to that space. This happens even more when you invite others in or walk the journey with them.
   • Don’t stay quiet about what this is like for you. Whether you share this with a trusted person in your life or post your progress in your preferred online medium, every time to share, you expand the impact these moments have on you. Did you have that family meeting to set boundaries? Share your words or your feeling with them after and thank them for honoring the time. Do you write for a specific audience? Share with them your dedication to your craft and watch as they rally around you and encourage you. You are not alone, and the more you embrace this, whether you ever share a word of what you write or not, the more you will feel ownership over your purposeful practice of writing.

However you choose to engage in this process, what I can promise is this: The more you feel safe within, empowered by, and connected to your own practice of writing, the more irresistible it will be. And therin lies the magic.

For myself, I have always wanted a dedicated writing time. In January of 2025, amidst a great deal of life struggles, I created the Wildly Free Writing Empower Hour. I have only missed one Monday since that time and I can tell you unequivocally that it has changed me for the better in more ways than I can count.

If you need a space that will welcome you with open arms, join us every Monday evening for writing hour at 7 pm CST (zoomwithashleyeliabeth.com) ! It’s free, low-stakes, and open to all.

If you are ready to dig into your own purposeful practice of writing and need a space to share, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

There is always space for you here at Wildly Free.

~ Ashley Elizabeth