Stuck in the Clouds: On Writer’s Block

Hello lovely readers and welcome back to my high-flying newsletter! The only newsletter that tells you to smash through your writer’s block in a fit of rage like the hulk!

Following a 3-2-1 approach, it contains 3 thoughts from me (that you should ignore), 2 quotes from others (that you should read), and 1 joke that’s so bad, it’s good!

Let’s begin!

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3 Thoughts:

1) “Cutting out distractions and inspiration are the same thing.”- click to tweet

2) “We cultivate meaning by helping others. Intrinsically this is what we want to do. Asking for help allows others to do exactly that. Letting people help you is perhaps the greatest gift you can give. The gift of meaning.”- click to tweet

3) 5 ways to smash your writer’s block to smithereens:

• Charge through it. Show up at the same place, same time, every single day. Be ritualistic about it. (Even – especially – when you don’t feel like it. ) Eliminate all distractions and just write. Do nothing else. You’d be amazed how many people with writer’s block actually fail to show up and do any writing. Inspiration comes from doing the work, not the other way around.

• Go around it. Don’t keep smacking your head against a brick wall. This is the definition of insanity. If you’re stuck on a particular topic, blog post or storyline, try writing about something else. This can be a different project or a different section of the same one. Often the best course of action is to go around the problem. Once the muse gets going you can tackle your original problem with renewed energy.

• Karate chop multiple blocks at the same time. Similar to the last piece of advice. Don’t put all your psychological eggs in one basket. I think it’s best to have two or three projects going at the same time and to move between them. Not only does this help with the cross-fertilisation of ideas (that makes you a better writer), it stops from feeling defeated by any one of them.

• Rise above it. Writer’s block is often born out of perfectionism. Being a perfectionist is another way of saying you’re self-conscious. When this happens the internal editor tends to step on the toes of your muse. You need to separate the two. A time for writing. A time for editing. Another idea is to think in terms of writing to one person instead of an audience. Not only does this help to make us feel less self conscious – it has the added benefit of making your writing feel more personal. People respond to honesty and vulnerably first and foremost.

• Walk away from it. Ultimately writer’s block is an emotional problem. If you really are stuck it either means you’re taking your writing way too seriously or not taking other matters in your life seriously enough. In either case that means you need to walk away and put life first. Going for a slow mindful walk, sitting down to meditate, playing with our kids or even taking the day off is often all we need to gain that much needed perspective. That’s usually when the apple falls from the tree and smacks us over the head.

2 Quotes:

“All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.”

– Eckhart Tolle

“The responsibility of any creator is to do the work, not judge it. Your job is to fall in love with the process, not grade the outcome.”

– James Clear

1 Joke: 

I entered ten puns in a contest to see which would win.

No pun in ten did.

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You can find more of AP2’s writing here at: https://wiseandshinezine.com

You can also find him on Medium at: https://anxiouspilot2.medium.com

You can also email him directly at: anxiouspilot2@gmail.com

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