Welcome to Issue 72 of Writing and Other Stuff, a newsletter by me, Kim Scaravelli. Every two weeks I write about creating spectacular content, building an unforgettable brand voice, and having FUN with your creativity. (Yep, that uppercase FUN is intentional.) Reading a forwarded copy? → subscribe here.

When was the last time you were bored?

Like truly, completely, mind-wandering-to-weird-places bored? Not the "scrolling Instagram while waiting for coffee" kind of bored, but the staring-out-the-window, daydreaming kind that used to fill our childhood summers.

Here's the thing: Creativity needs breathing room, and breathing room is in short supply.

We live in a noisy world where you can be tuned in and mentally stimulated from morning until bedtime. Boredom is nearing extinction.

Our 21st century mindset favours productivity and busy-ness. Chilling out, slowing down, and just BEING, are seen as indulgences.

But all the truly marvellous inventions and creations happen in the space beyond to-do lists!

So give yourself permission to press pause. Permission to tune out. Permission to daydream.

Make a strategic commitment to deeper thinking. Trust me, it will pay off for both your creativity and professional growth. AND your mental health.

Cool Quote

“You’re often most creative when you’re the least productive.”

Austin Kleon, Artist and Author

The HARDEST 10-Minute Exercise EVER!

Ready for a challenge that requires zero equipment, zero skill, and zero movement? (Plot twist: it's surprisingly difficult!)

Set your phone timer for 10 minutes. Now here comes the tricky part: just sit there.

Your brain will probably go into overdrive, ping-ponging between that presentation due next week, the weird noise your car is making, and whether you remembered to buy dog food. That's totally normal!

Think of this as creating a cozy space for your frantically busy brain.

It might feel like trying to wrangle a room full of sugar-charged toddlers at first. That's okay. Your mind isn't used to this kind of freedom.

Once you can manage 10 minutes of whatever-pops-into-your-head time, try graduating to two 15-minute sessions. The ultimate, olympic-level achievement would be a full 30 minutes of mental free-range time. (Full disclosure: most people never reach this daydream master status, and that's perfectly okay)

Remember: the goal isn't to have peaceful, profound thoughts - it's to give your busy brain permission to be busy in its own way.

Step one is simply getting comfortable with hitting pause on your day. Those deeper, more creative thoughts will naturally emerge once your mind learns it's safe to STOP and wander.

Stuff Worth Sharing

Let's be real - 2025 is testing our collective anxiety levels.

Between my morning coffee and bedtime tea, I probably check the news a dozen times (okay, maybe two dozen). And while I believe we need to stay informed and stand up for what's right, we also need to remember that good things are happening in the world.

I recently subscribed to Fix The News. Really enjoying it! Each week, this newsletter shares stories of progress happening around the globe.

I'm not ignoring the tough stuff, but I'm trying to balance my media diet with hope - and curb my doomscrolling!

Note: I found this newsletter in another fabulous newsletter - Marketing Snacks - by my brilliant friend, Alison Knott.

For the Word Nerds

Here's a word gem for you: In Japanese culture, boketto (ぼけっと) describes the art of gazing vacantly into the distance, letting your mind float free. Far from being lazy, it's considered essential for creative renewal.

Bottom line? Creativity drowns in busyness. So if you want your imagination to flourish, take your foot off the gas now and then. Your best ideas might just appear when you're doing nothing. Which, ironically, makes NOTHING the most important thing you can do!

Thank you for your time. See you again on February 12th. In the meantime: ​ 👉If you're looking for a helpful guide to help UP your writing game, check out Making Words Work​ ​ 👉 If you want an easy, stress-free course to make your VOICE stand out from the crowd, get my FREE BRAND VOICE COURSE. ​ 👉And email me with any thoughts on this issue. I'd love to hear from you. ​ ​