Dark Nights of the Soul
Even the most prolific writers out there must encounter the lulls in productivity, right? Surely, it is not just a new writer phenomenon.
It seems that the warm, sunny days of summer are not the elixir I needed. Finishing my last certification for work would not clear my desk and allow my brain to focus on the good stuff. Turns out, I truly can waste many hours surfing the net and watching mindless television instead of writing.
The worst part about the slump is that I don’t even have the energy and urge to do anything else creative either. At least if I was knitting or quilting or even planning a quilt, I wouldn’t feel so slug-like. But instead this has been the summer of virtually no creative output from yours truly!
I do hear that these things happen. Some people refer to it as a block. I don’t want to call it that because it makes it seem like such a solid thing to overcome. More like I am wallowing in an uninspired pit. Yes, that describes it well.
So how do you crawl out of this pit when you find yourself mired down in the muck?
I have been asking myself this for weeks now.
I have heard many remedies that I need to work up some energy to try –
Take a walk.
Read a book.
Do something else.
Journal.
All those ideas might work, but they all seem like they may take a bit of a kick in the butt.
I think the best advise I have heard was to just own it. Own your process. Understand that you are human and cannot possibly crank out creativity like a machine! Forgive yourself for this. And let yourself wallow a bit. Stretch out and let yourself sink right down into the mud and wallow. When you are good and sick of yourself, you will find your way out, one step at a time.
I think when we admit we are human and forgive ourselves for our little funk, we may actually come to enjoy the occasional wallow.
- Posted in: writing
- Tagged: Cheryl Fassett, creativity, depression, learning, life, not writing, quilting, reading, self-preservation, time, wallowing, writer, writer's block, writing
Glad to see u tackle this problem, Cheryl!
I usually have a few blogs/projects on th go, so if I get stuck on 1, then I can move on to another.
In order to get back into th writing flow, a good idea – works for me – is to try working in a different part of th house. Or somewhere outside (then eventually move back to your desk).
And if lack of energy is th prob: don’t forget th power of napping!
Wld recommend yesterday’s Post, (but got fed up & worked on somthin else instead)
so Sunday’s Post should suffice:
http://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/the-man-from-scribe/
Cheers!
Sadly my naps don’t tend to energize me. Instead I wind up lounging the afternoon away and not getting any writing done. 😏