Writer’s Block… Yep I Hate it too

If you can’t tell from the title of this post, I am about to talk about the infamous WRITERS BLOCK.

Now for those of you lucky enough to never have experienced it and have absolutely no idea what I am talking about…

First of all, I am very jealous (How exactly have you never experienced it? TEACH ME YOUR WAYS).

Second of all, I feel like you might be lying to me, because even if you’ve never experienced writer’s block specifically, I bet that you have at some point, experienced at least some sort of creative block.

For those of you who have no idea what writer’s block is, basically it’s the label we give ourselves when we cannot come up with any idea from any point in the writing stage, whether it’s starting a new piece, to continuing one you’ve already been working on.

Just picture a flat empty desert where the occasional tumbleweed goes by, giving you hope that there is something interesting coming up on the horizon, then realizing that that’s not going to be the case.

For me, I notice that I experience the most writer’s block when I’m stressed or even burning out. When I used to work as a department manager at a grocery store, I barely wrote anything. I didn’t have the energy or mental capacity to write about anything besides how miserable and tired I was. When I dealt with some personal drama a while back, the stress I dealt with during that time made it hard for me to write about anything other than how awful I felt (as well as how awful I was. It was a fun time really).

I recently quit a job of mine back in mid-January, and have been unemployed since, yet because of it, it’s the most creative I’ve been in a while. I started working more on two stories that I filed away for later, came up with two new story concepts, have been working on making a t-shirt quilt, I’ve been adding actual art to pieces that I’ve written (not that the art is any good… but I’m trying!). And all of that has been done in about a month and a half’s time. I’ve been more creative in a month and a half than I have in the past couple of years.

So what’s the whole point of this?

Stressing about writer’s block could actually be part of the reason why you’re even having it in the first place. Obviously I’m not going to sit here and tell you to quit your job and go on a writing retreat for a month (unless you’re in a position where you can do that, in which case if you want to, go for it!). I’m lucky enough that I have been able to save up money and I’m currently living at home, so I can take the time to pursue my creative interests and actually try and make something out of it.

However, my advice to you is this: if you want to be more creative, you need to find a way to de-stress yourself.  This could be taking a bath and spending some time by yourself, or something as simple as spending five minutes at night having a cup of tea and meditating. I don’t know what personally helps you to relax, but trust me, when you find a way to build relaxation time into your daily routine, you might notice that you generally feel a lot better. And when you feel a lot better, you may possibly even have the energy to  think and basically be creative.

Even if you aren’t necessarily worried about writer’s block,  giving yourself some relaxation time will help you in the long run to avoid burn out. I’ve seen so many social media posts complaining about the idea of constantly working and striving and achieving and  TO BE DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE. As someone who has felt burned out many times and has now started taking the steps to get myself into a healthier mindset, I want to tell you to JUST BREATHE. Please, be kind to yourself and take a deep breath.

You don’t need to constantly be working to be successful.

You don’t need to work yourself to the point where you break.

Work smarter, not harder.

Letting yourself rest can be the best thing you do for yourself.

Now that I have gone and preached to the choir, now seem’s to be the time for me to sign off.

Thank you for reading, see ya in the next post!
Erin 🙂

Twitter: @ENordhof

Prose: https://theprose.com/ennord