When I decided to take part in NaPoWriMo, I wasn’t sure I could do it. I would normally write poetry maybe twice a week, but during my bad times, twice a month. Writing a poem or more each day for thirty days seemed almost impossible.

I started off doing well. I had apps to give me prompts, and after a few days, I would wake up with ideas springing and bouncing around, ready to become a poem.

April has seen the creation of some of the best work from me. The brain is indeed a muscle, and using it all the time makes it stronger. And I have found the poems getting better as each day passes.

I went from being nervous as each day arrived to being excited to flex my creative muscle that day and create something special.

If there are any writers or poets out there, I would say do it next year; you will be surprised how much you get from it.

Challenging your brain to be creative every day for a full month is fulfilling and challenging, but the payoff is that your writing will be better, and you will find your voice as you learn your strengths.

And the poems don’t have to be full-on epics; they can be little haikus or cinquains. It’s about getting those images and words down on paper or screen.

I have ADHD, so keeping my attention can be difficult, and to all my fellow ADHD writers who need some advice for next year, don’t worry.

My first tip is to use your phone, but have it on aeroplane mode and disconnect from the internet so there are no distractions.

Another handy one is to change things up. Write with your phone one day, laptop another day, pen and paper the next. Keeping that change will boost creativity and productivity.

Change where you write. Different scenery will spark your imagination and help you come up with ideas.

To all the poets who have taken on this challenge, then we can let our minds rest before we inevitably spark up another project.

My final thought will be to think of me in November as I take on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I understand the controversy over the charity’s shutdown. That will be a future article.