Stuck? Here's another way to view Writer's Block
Inspiration
“I don't sit around waiting for passion to strike me. I keep working steadily, because I believe it is our privilege as humans to keep making things. Most of all, I keep working because I trust that creativity is always trying to find me, even when I have lost sight of it.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
I was fortunate to come across Kate Angus’ work this week. A poet and writing lecturer, Kate spent 2 years feeling stuck. She had a stubborn case of writer’s block and felt like an absolute fraud.
I’ve often wondered, “If I’m not writing, am I still a writer?”
Luckily, I haven’t experienced writer’s block that’s lasted as long as Kate’s did. Some days I struggle to write—I figure I need to rest that day.
Once I felt extra stuck. I decided to write about a writer who was given a block of wood (a writer’s block) as a joke. Writing can be the best cure for writer’s block it seems! Which is lucky, because when there are deadlines to meet, inspired or not, I have to work.
I’m starting to wonder if writer’s block is something less mysterious than we make it.
Kate decided to rethink it all together. You can read her conclusion in my Medium story How Do You Shift Writer’s Block? (for Medium members) and How Do You Shift Writer’s Block (for non-members).
It’s one of those topics that writers have strong opinions about:
“I don't believe in writers' block. Do doctors have 'doctors block?' Do plumbers have 'plumbers' block?" No. We all have days when we don't feel like working, but why do writers turn that into something so damn special by giving it a faintly romantic name.”
― Larry Kahaner, AK-47: The Weapon that Changed the Face of WarWhat’s your opinion? Do you rest, push on through, or do something else?
If you need a boost, you might find my article How To Have a Great Supply of Ideas useful (members)
How to Have a Great Supply of Ideas (non-members)