Overcome Writer’s Block: Stop Thinking

Phase I: Stop Thinking

Not all creativity is art…and most of the time it’s our own fault. I learned this the hard way. For years I tried to force myself to conjure up creative premises, plotlines, unique characters, settings, themes, climaxes, and so on…but you can’t force beautiful creations. No artistic gift is stressfully pulled from someone. And you can’t goad provoking prose. It’s just not possible.

Creativity is Creativity. It’s new, original, imaginative, fresh, inspired, visionary, unmarked, and a whole list of synonyms you can look up for yourself. Oftentimes it comes to you when you aren’t even thinking about it. The most awesome and impossible for anyone to foresee twist will pop up in your head at the most random locations and at the most random time. I’m talking in the shower, in your nightmares, stuck in a traffic jam, at a boring meeting, droning out an annoying friend. Yah, I learned creativity has a sense of humor. It pops up when it pleases.

Honestly it’s a beautiful thing, being creative I mean. It’s not a learned skill, something you can practice; a habit you can just pick up and keep for life…it’s a valued piece of who you are. And the more you endeavor to force it, aggravate, provoke, or pull it out of wherever it is buried in your head…it just can’t happen captain! Creativity is a natural born characteristic God instilled in you and not many people are blessed to have it. And because it’s natural, it flows best naturally. You get me?

Yeah, it’s hard when your imaginary friends stop speaking to you and those friendly voices full of great ideas stop filling up your head, but give them time. Sometimes your ideas require time to gestate or your mind needs to pick up more life experiences to work off of. Now, how do you give those guys space to do their own thing?

Get out and enjoy life. Capture and store those new experiences I mentioned for your mind to chew off of. Of course, writing is essentially the best thing ever!! But hey, there’re loads of other activities you can enjoy to get your mind stimulating, or in other words, make those little imaginary jerks in your head keeping all the good secrets let you in on some of the action! It’s perfectly normal to take time off from writing or stop thinking of how you're going to write an action or kiss scene, begin or finish a book, which twists will come first or last. Know that although you adore writing, it can feel like a stressful job when you do too much of it. I’m sure Gabby Douglas loves gymnastics, but heck, she needs a break from all that flipping too!

Stop thinking about it for now. If you rush creativity it won't become the art you envisioned. Your beloved mojo will come flooding back when you least expect it. Trust me! Would I ever lie to you? Nope! Nevaaa!

Phase II Coming Soon! ;-)