26 May 09 Stave Off Writer’s Block

Written by: SamElli

Anybody who writes, whether for a living or otherwise, has encountered the dreaded problem of writer’s block.  Writer’s block is one of the most frustrating experiences to battle with and through no matter how seasoned you are in the field, mostly because you feel so helpless to combat the lack of creative energy.  But there are many strategies you can employ to try and take down writer’s block, although some of them will have mixed results depending upon the individual, here are some you can try to get that creative spark burning bright once more.

One main stratagem is to just allow yourself to write badly.  Often a writer with writer’s block feels disappointed with anything that they are able to write.  One way to get beyond this is to just keep working even if you are unhappy with the quality of what you are writing.  By allowing yourself to write badly you are still writing and influencing the creative process, increasing the likelihood of you escaping your dreaded writer’s block sooner rather than later.

Take a break and clear your head with a trip outside.  Take a nice long walk, or go for a jog or run, do some yard work, anything around fresh air that involves a relative amount of physical exertion.  After which you’ll feel better and your mind will feel much more clear, taking away the stress you felt before from your inability to write.

And if those don’t work, there’s always one of the best methods in music.  Listen to some of your favorite music, something that moves you, makes you emote whether in anger, happiness, sadness, etc.  Anything that inspires your emotions to come out or come alive, as that will facilitate the artistic need to create, inspiring you to write, and to write words you are connected to, that you feel.

Tags: Anger, Block Writer, Creative Energy, Creative Process, Emotions, Experiences, Favorite Music, Fresh Air, Happiness Sadness, Jog, Likelihood, Physical Exertion, Stratagem, Stress