When you get writer’s block (or any other creative block) it can be tough to get past it. There are strategies you can use to get the juices flowing. They all have one thing in common: they involve actually doing the work. Why is that? According to author Jodi Picoult, it’s because writer’s block is just another name for procrastination.
Picture: Planet of Success
In every creative field, having ideas is hard. You can’t force inspiration, and trying to do so can be frustrating. You know that you need to have an idea, but it’s just not coming to you. In that moment, you can feel frustrated, chalk it up to a creative block, and bail to do some other more interesting task. The problem is, sitting down with your blank slate mind and writing what you can is exactly the work you need to be doing. Sure, you may not have the idea you want, but brainstorming in the meantime can lead to the idea you need. As Picoult explains:
I don’t believe in writer’s block. Think about it — when you were blocked in college and had to write a paper, didn’t it always manage to fix itself the night before the paper was due? Writer’s block is having too much time on your hands. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.
Of course, procrastination isn’t always a bad thing. If you’ve been working a 10 hour day and you can’t think anymore, staring at a page isn’t going to give you great ideas. Allowing yourself the time to think without restrictions can also lead to useful ideas. Just call it what it is, though. Your creative blocks aren’t insurmountable goals that leave you at the mercy of your blank page. If you have a deadline, you’ll probably get past that block in a hurry. You can use those same tactics when you’re not crunched for time as well.
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