Is Pinterest worth it as a writing and creative tool?
"Wait, Pinterst can be a writing and creative tool?"
Absolutely, anything can be a creative tool and today we are going to talk about one of my absolute favorites, Pinterest. I used Pinterest a lot while working on Hollows, and even more while developing The Morrow Lands, I've got hundred, thousands of pins across several different project boards. I even use it to plan my D&D campaigns, and for inspiration in my artistic works.
We're going to go over how to use Pinterest, at least how I use it, to organize thoughts, explore ideas, and revitalize your imagination for upcoming books and work in progresses. How can you optimize your time on the site, because let's face it time is our most valuable commodity, how to avoid falling into the scrolling pitfall, and how to stop if we do.
How to get started:
Getting started on Pinterest is easy, just go to the site and hit create an account. Once you've followed the steps to set that account up its scrolling time. But oh, how quickly it is that you can get lost in the sea of beautiful pictures! Before you roll up your sleeves and get to scrolling, I highly suggest we tick a few boxes!
What is the project you're working on.
What is your goal for this venture.
How in depth do you want to go.
Trust me, if you are delving into this with the intention of using this for your projects setting these goals beforehand is a great way to keep you on track. If you're there to get book ideas, great start scrolling, but if you are there for a particular reason getting that in writing is a must or it may just get messy. I always set stipulations on myself because without them, I eventually end up with hundreds of pins and few of them are useful.
How to optimize:
Pinterest boards are a great way to keep your inspiration organized and learning how to optimize them and Pinterest's features is one of the best ways to make this part of your project run smoother and faster. An example of how I usually set my boards up is:
Profile (main page)
Project 01
Project Folder
Project Folder
Project 02
Project Folder
Because of the way the site is set up you have your main page (your profile) and the option to add one folder and one set of subfolders to that folder. I usually use this to set the project folder, and then make subfolders for each aspect, the main folder is then used as a dump for anything that doesn't fit within the subfolders or is just pure inspiration.
This is actually the current folder set up for The Morrow Lands:
Once you know what you need, search keywords. "Aesthetic" is one that I use a lot when perusing for inspiration myself. After a board is decently filled, you can scroll to the bottom of the board to a section that say, "Find some ideas for this board" and use that to look for more images similar to the kind you were filling the board with. This can be a great time saver.
The more organized your boards, the better it usually is. And one of the great features of Pinterest is the ability to organize the pins in your board further by allowing you to move them around. Don't like an arrangement? Just change it. Have a deep meaning to an image and quote combo? Move them together.
What to avoid and how to stop doom scrolling:
Doom scrolling is a pitfall we all fall into so here are some tips to keep that at bay so you get the most out of your time.
There is only so much time we can spend on a step of a project before it becomes a project itself rather than a step towards the original goal. And doom scrolling can very quickly turn an hour to get inspiration, organize thoughts, or bring imagery to a vision into five or six. The number of times I've realized I missed lunch getting my boards organized is ridiculous. A great way to combat this is setting expectations, and time limits. I always set a certain amount of time aside for this part of the project. Usually either a few days to a week or two, and then I try not to touch it again after unless it absolutely has to be edited. Within that I also set timers when scrolling and have an alarm ready to remind me that it's been two or three hours. I even do this when I return to the boards to look them over for inspiration any time I'm stuck in the project.
Set expectations for how long this part of the project should take.
Set time limits for scrolling, pinning, and organization.
Utilize alarms if you find it hard to keep track of time while pinning.
In closing I really think Pinterest is a great tool to jumpstart projects or just breathe some life into your thoughts. Like any social media platform, it's all about using your own judgment and self-control. And tools like alarms if you lack that self-control like I do.
If you aren't sure if Pinterest is for you and your creative proses that's totally fine. Personally, I've found it helpful, and a great tool but not every tool is perfect for everyone. If you are thinking about it, I hope these tips helped you out and happy scrolling!
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