A couple weeks ago I decided to make some lifestyle changes that I hoped would help me with my writing. This experiment is based on the research I’ve done around cognitive health and neuroplasticity, and in reading the personal stories of creatives I admire. A common theme I’ve discovered is how vital it is to have control of my mind and be able to apply it with great energy toward whatever endeavor I’m currently immersed in birthing creatively. My goal, then, is to sit down to write each day with a brain that is still and clear, free of distraction. I want an open, fertile, equanimous mind that can be focused without excessively taxing myself cognitively.