Blog #1 Writer’s Block

. . . or any creative block, really. Writer’s block, artist’s block—it doesn’t matter. It all orbits the same, frustrating feeling of being unable to proceed with a creative work you are passionate about or the inability to start something fresh and different. Why?

The well of creativity

I like to think of creativity like a nice water well. There will be moments where you are unable to resist the call of inspiration drawing you to your pencil or laptop (well is happy and full). And sometimes, that motivation is nowhere to be found no matter how hard to stare at your manuscript (well is sad and dry). That is totally normal. Creativity comes and go, and that is part of the creative process. We can’t be on full-power mode all the time (an infinite well?!), and creativity functions the same way. The “block” is a sign for you to replenish that well. Whether that is knitting that trending scarf you’ve been thinking about, learning how to make really good matcha latte, or going thrifting with your friends, giving yourself the time and space away from actively creating will always help you in the long run.

I know, I know. I can’t stand the feeling of being “unproductive” either, but it isn’t a loss of valuable time. It’s an investment that ultimately recharges you so that you can come back sprinting! It’s an opportunity to let inspiration find its way to you, or you to it. You never know.

Slippery slope of self-doubt

Writer’s block can also come from the paralyzing fear of failure. Focus on failure will only lead you teetering over the top of the slippery slope of self-doubt. It’s natural, of course. Whether you are tackling a titanic project or one that is entirely new to you, the unknown will ultimately reflect as self-doubt (I’m totally channeling OTGW here). Here’s a couple things to remind yourself of when you feel like throwing in the towel: 1) It doesn’t matter your where you are currently, your skillset, or your lack of experience. You build them along your creative journey. Don’t let your inexperience stop you from trying, learning, and ultimately, having fun. 2) “Perfectionism” is overrated. It’s okay to strive for it, but that shouldn’t prevent you from just getting your idea down on paper. That’s why you have editors 😉 3) In any creative endeavor, “failing” is pretty much irrelevant. You always gain something in your artistic pursuits. You gain experience, learn your strengths are as well as your weaknesses, work on them, and keep going. The only way is up!

One only truly fails when they do not try.

Elephant of a task

My friend once asked me a funny question upon seeing me sobbing profusely at the enormity of a task: “How do you eat an elephant?” That stopped me, and my tears, in its tracks because firstly, I would never think to eat an elephant and secondly, of all things why would they be asking that right now when time is running out and there’s still too much to do and I’m hungry and exhausted and feeling super overwhelmed and have to hurry and finish everything right now—!

“One bite at a time.”

It’s easy to tunnel-vision on the big goals that excite us, but when it comes to tackling it, it’s seems much more difficult because we see it as one, impossibly huge task. It is like climbing a mountain. We look up, up, up and see the very top where we want be, but then we stress over how to get all the way up there instead of looking right in front of us. What is something, any task, that you can accomplish right now? That is one or two steps up that mountain. It might not seem much, but it is still progress towards your goal. Same idea with the elephant. One bite, or task, at a time. Whether it’s writing one chapter a week, or thirty minutes of writing a day, you’ll get through that elephant of a task.

But I’m bored!

So it’s not a lack of creativity, doubt, or feeling overwhelmed. You’re just not feeling it. The project is not sparking joy for you like it did a month ago. That’s OK. Apathy or disdain towards a project is normal in the creative process. No need to feel guilty about it (Easier said than done). Take disinterest as a sign; it might be time to take a break and work on something else. It’s not like you’re throwing the other project away. It’s just shelved and ready for you when you are ready for it later on.

Understanding yourself

At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong answer to defeating a creative block. There’s a lot of good methods out there, which I will discuss in part 2 of this post, that can help shake things up. Don’t resent yourself because one method isn’t working out for you. It’s not a moral failing. Every person creates differently and have their own little routines or special thing that works for them (think David Lynch and his 2:30 p.m. milkshake). There is joy in discovering yourself.

No matter what, I know that you can and will overcome your writer’s block. It’s all part of the creative process. Don’t give up. 🙌