Let’s be honest. Sometimes we need to disrupt our day-to-day to prevent burnout. When that’s the case, we stage a design revolution.

“Coop Coup” is a monthly challenge where we go rogue with unusual prompts, letting our minds wander and our creative juices flow. No stakes, no critiques, no winners — just good old-fashioned creative exploration.

This Coop Coup was focused on the freedom of letting go with stream of consciousness writing. This type of writing gives creatives a chance to let the words flow without self-censorship or perfectionism. Freewriting often translates to better writing as it allows for more experimentation early in the creative process. While some team members were already practitioners of this approach, now we’re all believers in its effectiveness. 

let the words flow without self-censorship or perfectionism

On a beautiful fall day, our team gathered in a nearby park for a change of scenery. Senior designer, Allison Clark, gave us some background on this practice inspired by a recent conference experience.

Allison gave us a simple prompt, such as, “I am noticing,” and then the only instruction was to write whatever comes to mind. The trick was not to stop for grammar corrections, misspellings, or editing of “bad” ideas. We just kept our pens moving until the timer stopped.

It didn’t matter what we wrote, and none of it needed to be shared. It was all about being present with the process and free in our stream of consciousness.

On a beautiful fall day, our team gathered in a nearby park for a change of scenery. Senior designer, Allison Clark, gave us some background on this practice inspired by a recent conference experience.

Allison gave us a simple prompt, such as, “I am noticing,” and then the only instruction was to write whatever comes to mind. The trick was not to stop for grammar corrections, misspellings, or editing of “bad” ideas. We just kept our pens moving until the timer stopped.

It didn’t matter what we wrote, and none of it needed to be shared. It was all about being present with the process and free in our stream of consciousness.

At first, this task was challenging for some, especially the “no self-editing” part. The more we wrote, the more natural it felt. The apprehension turned into acceptance, which eventually yielded a powerful flow state.

Not everyone on our team identifies as “writers,” but in reality, we all write all the time. Every text message, email, social media post, to-do note, and thank you card counts. This exercise helped us see that and feel more comfortable with the act of writing — even if our hands cramped a bit.

When was the last time you wrote something? Feeling stuck? Try these prompts:

I am noticing…

I remember…

I am hearing…

I am feeling…

I hope…