When something is important to you, you will find time in your schedule, no matter what. Or you’d like to think so until creative constipation blocks you up.
I often start the day with a huge raft of ideas coming at my brain like a runaway bus. They zoom in, I whizz them around, and quickly write them, before they disappear.
Sometimes the speed of this means that, should my dogs demand a cuddle, my thoughts get lost. Like waking from a dream, just the slightest disruption and those last gripping moments slip ghost-like into the mist.
Creative kapow then nothing, blank, zip, zilch.
Other times I can be sat at my computer with a vague idea, or I have a plan to write something, but for some reason, nothing comes.
I was writing something relatively simple recently when a massive block to my creativity flew in and stopped me in my tracks. It took a few days for the flow to return.
I know it was tiredness. This summer was too hot and too long. It simply stripped me of energy and my brains response was ‘computer says no.’
In knowledgeable writers circles, this is called writer’s block. Personally I prefer creative constipation because it feels temporary. Pop in the right ingredients and the words will slip gently out.
But it can be so frustrating!
The problem is that people like me like to have an idea and write and write and write.
So what’s a gal to do?
Try these to help you to ease your creative constipation
Envision your perfect day. Instead of writing for your book or blog, writing in your journal. The perfect day exercise is a wonderful way to start the envisioning process. Connect to your muse and ask what would your best day look like? What would your best day look like if your writing flowed effortlessly each day? The perfect day exercise is one of the exercises in my Love To Journal – Monthly Life Journals.
Remove the shoulds, and ought and consider your can do’s. “Should-dos” are often those beliefs, habits, and ideas that are given to us by other people. “Can-dos” on the other hand are the beliefs, habits, and ideas that you know you can and want to do to become the best version of yourself in the best version of your life — as decided by you. What can you do to support your writing that could become a daily habit that you enjoy?
Pick one. Pick one change or habit to incorporate into your life right now which will help you to get your writing done. You only need to make one change.
Get clear on next steps. Get clear on how you can incorporate this one change or habit into your life. What are the next steps that will help you start to make this change? Then take action.
What else?
Here are a few more quick tips:-
Accept that it is just temporary and let it go. I usually head off for a cup of tea and do something mundane like washing the dishes. These just bring some normality back and take my mind off things.
If you get something and even if it feels like nothing connected to what you want to write, scribble the nonsense down in your journal and maybe just maybe you can make something of it later – when you are more relaxed. The act of journaling will set you free. Freewriting is one of my most favourite activities which lets me, through the act of letting go either write out the rubbish or find that one thing that is worth writing about.
Get some fresh air. I find that walking the dogs grounds me. Usually, by the time I get home I either put pen to paper and it becomes something or I just let it go. And I tell myself that it wasn’t important, another idea will come.
Chat some of your writing ideas through. This usually occurs on the walk above, if I ring my mum or a friend. As we walk, we chat and that puts things in perspective and the clutter clears. Talking is great for sorting ideas, including writing ideas out.
It really is about just stopping, let it go and find something to release your stuckness in whatever way works for you. I hope some of my suggestions work.
Over to you, what works for you?