As I continue to engage and attempt to improve my writing at the academic level, I contemplate the question of what 'ingredients' are required or apear to occur spontaneously when I find what I refer to as writing 'flow.'

The first ingredient that comes to mind is atmosphere, and how ones environment can contribute significantly to an inspirational experience or a rather oppressive or even depressing writing experience.

However after writing this post, I realize that the atmosphere is secondary to my personal disposition and how I feel in the world on any given day. My minutes and hours leading up to my writing experience have accumulated and resulted in my overall stance emotionally and mentally, which often imapct my writint experience.

Despite a range of diverse emotions that can occur on any given day, once the writing flow comes, it contains its own rhythm and inertia, which often seems to have a life of its own. This ryhthm can be highly productive with immense writint results, whether the emotions and mental state inside the individual (myself) are to be simplistic, sad or happy.

It is difficult to begin writing stream of consciousness, poetry, or even creatively when teh sadness exists, yet if I force myself to simply being, it is impressive what can come out despite the debilitating feelings.

On the other side of this experience, it is much easier to being writing in any capacity, and certainly for academic purposes when I am feeling balanced or grounded, or even 'happy' on a given day.

I think a useful tactic which I partly took from American writer/journalist Hunter S. Thompson is not to be afraid to insert the various pieces that create this identity in this human form into my writing.

For example, I want to include all my thoughts, ideas, feelings and moreover somehow transform them into my academic writing, which opens up dialogue for space in realtion to including ones creativity in academic writing, as I know there is somehow an opportynity for this, and yet I find myself feeling opressed and restricted by the academic requirements and stipulations that are placed upon me within the writing that is required of me.

Still, I feel confidant that as I apply myself and move through the uncomfortable elements of academic writing, which I should note are fairly absent when Im writing about something I find deeply engaging, for example Im currently taking an Ethnobotany course which I experience no resistance when writing is required of me.

So I guess I try to have an atittude of 'no fear and include all the parts of me if I can when embarking on a writing assingmnet or experience; I would consider this a useful tool to keep at the front of my mind, while also pushing boundaries and not trying to fit into the mold of academic writing, but to bring my unique self and vision to my writing in the hopes that while my writing is existing within an academic framework I am also inspiring and offering others something they might not normally consider, etc.

I think another tool that is improtant to mention is discipline, particularly when thoughts, emotions, and ideas arise within the mind. For example, if I have some ideas in relation to a text within my course I ahve recently read, or an assingment and I dont choose to be disciplined and sit down to engage with my writing process in that moment, I may lose something very valuable, that could have otherwise been an excellent inclusion in my work.

That being said, my personal life does not always afford me the luxury of sitting and writing as I please, as these opportunities are limited to specific times and specific days, however I could still invoke and respect the concept of discipline by quickly jotting down what comes into my mind, or paraphrashing until I can properly return to the full experience of the writing. I do have the privilege of choosing this option.