Overcoming Obstacles: Clearing Writer’s Block
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Posted by Girlosophy on Mon 3 October 2011
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No matter what is specifically causing it, a ‘block’ occurs when the creative vein dries up. It feels like there is nothing left in the well, and it all comes to a grinding halt. In short, you have come to an obstacle on the creative course.
When this happens you usually can’t pull anything together. You feel uninspired, unable to express what you want to and what you feel is within you. It may just be temporary, preventing you from writing clearly or even having the desire to put pen to paper, but you suffer regardless.
Above all, you feel incapable of bringing something – a letter, an article, anything – to fruition. And so the journal, paper, laptop or notepad sits there, day after day (or indeed year after year) not filled in, perhaps not even opened.
It’s heavy: no pen to paper or keystroke to screen occurs. Instead fear, bitterness, recrimination, anger, sadness, regret and anxiety rule the creative slate. Without a “circuit breaker” or some kind of methodology to get you back into the game, this can indeed spell the end of the line for many would-be creators.
So, how does this happen and why does it get to this point?
“Why does inspiration seem to flee, for all intents and purposes, never to be seen again?”
And what, if anything, can you do about it?
The answer lies in becoming a sponge for a while. You need to get some new input, to stir up and re-energize all the existing stuff in your mental filing cabinet. Think of it in the same way that buying a new top or jacket seems to re-fresh everything in your wardrobe.
Here at Girlosophy, our go-to list includes watching film and documentaries, reading a stack of fresh magazines, going to an art exhibition and now of course we have the web with 24 hours a day of new-ness waiting to be clicked on. Some of us even like browsing vintage stores, doing an unrelated activity can sometimes flip the creative switch on again.
Meditation helps too. Sit still for a while and see what comes up. Film director David Lynch swears by it to find what he calls ‘the big fish’ of ideas. He describes this in his book ‘Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity’. If you’ve seen his epic series Twin Peaks or Mulholland Drive, you’ll agree they are convincing evidence that meditation works a treat.
For meditation techniques that we recommend, read about it here...
Meditation: Your Quick Step-By-Step Guide
A little Meditation goes a long way
