Hello My Dear Royals! 😊
It feels good to be back!
October and November went by so quickly… It filled me with nostalgia, and threw my life in a crazy twirl of warm colors, clear sky, chilly wind and pumpkin’s spices. It sounds nice right? Expect that I could enjoy none of it. All I could do was work, work, work and work.
No time to rest, no time to read and no time to blog.
When things finally calmed down, an old and unwanted acquaintance came by to visit: Writer Block.
It has been so long since I experienced it! I was in denial about the reason behind my utter lack of motivation.
When it hit me, I decided to tackle the issue in a different way. I shut down my “internal stress gland” and adopted a laid-back attitude.
Because of writer block, I used to mentally strain myself to the point exhaustion. I was so frustrated and disappointed that I would force myself to write something, anything.
But in those conditions, nothing good, obviously.
This would only result in some very poor quality writing and random ramblings about subjects I really did not care about.
I tried everything. I took walks, I’ve read books, I watched movies, I used relaxation tips and apps; I put on music, I tried the streaming of consciousness method… nothing worked.
So I decided to accommodate it by acknowledging it’s here to stay. I hoped that this way, I would be able to work around it.
And it worked!
Here is a list of what I did:
- Guilt free: I stopped feeling guilty about not posting anything.
- This is about you, not your followers: I did not let the negative comments about my virtual disappearance bother me. I mean, what’s the point?
- No pressure: I refused to pressure myself.
- Unplug: Since I could not write anything, I turned off the notifications of my WordPress app to lessen my anguish.
- Keep a list of good things: Every time I had an idea for an article, I would just write it down and I kept that list updated during my entire writer block. It’s a great tip for those who need a solid creative pool to come back to after a block.
- Use your window: Since I could not write anything, I turned my unused energy and creativity towards other things. Mainly myself.
- Focus on yourself: I created a new motto: “Less time spent on my blog means more time to spend on myself”
- Take it personally: I went on with my self-empowerment, self-care and self-love journey. Of course I did it with the best tool possible: the Artist of Life Workbook. I am so proud of the results.
- Seek out fun times: I socialized more and I found myself accumulating great writing subjects for my blog.
- Try out new toys: I discovered Trello via the wonderful Aileen and her Youtube channel, Lavendaire. Trello is like Wunderlist but 100% better. The application helps you organize, categorize and list all your ideas, tasks and documents through a very cool interface and playful design.
It’s a paradise for someone like me and I decided to try it despite my writer block because why not? I was not about to let this ruin my joy!
Turns out Trello was a godsend and destroyed the last remain of my writer block.
And here I am. Maybe a tad sheepish but unapologetic and still full of positivism because suffering from writer block does not mean I failed as a writer or a blogger.
I want to thank all the people who liked my posts, commented on them and send messages asking me what’s up or when I would come back. It’s sweet to know I was missed!
Onward and upward with our journey!
See you next week,
Stay magnificent.
- Featured Image Header: Credits and Copyrights: Dina Belenko – Please support the wonderful artist on his 500px page.
I sometimes like to think of writer’s block as my imagination’s way of saying take a walk or read a book or something like that. It’s stressful, but as soon as I give in to it (like you said), it passes. Welcome back! 🙂
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Thank you dear!
I love your comment and I agree, it is definitely a nicer way of thinking about writing block.
You are so sweet, thank you for commenting!
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Thank you so much for following my blog dear😊
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You are very welcome! 😊🙏🏽
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😍😍😍😍
Thanks for your likes tooo👍🏻
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💋💋💋
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Thank you for this blog. I thought I was the only one who had to deal with writers block. Also I did feel pressure! I really appreciate the steps you gave to help me move forward! Thank you! This was a Great post!
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Thank you!!! That is such a lovely comment, It made me smile and very happy I could help and that you could relate to it. I’m slowing getting back on the writer horse but I find pleasure and joy in it, especially since I just left any pressure and guilt behind.
Take your time, that’s my advice!
Cheers 🙂
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It can be so stressful to keep up a blog. I’m glad you gave yourself a break.
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Thank you! And you are so right, sometimes, it can be a lot of pressure and stress, especially if you are like me and needs things to be perfect and timed! 😊😂🤷🏽♀️
It’s a struggle sometimes, but everybody can overcome their annoying tics right?
I really appreciate your comment! Thank you again!
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I think my best tip for writers block is probably always note down your ideas when they come. I’ve done this for years so I always have plenty to write about. I use WordPress mostly to just start a new draft even if it’s just a title and a line (currently have about 90 posts in draft) or the Keep Notes app on my phone which is a temporary notebook I use if I’m not online then transfer the idea to WordPress later. I think of writers block as lack of ideas, so if you keep topped up with ideas it doesn’t really happen. And the more you capture ideas, the more ideas come, it just feeds itself. I can’t remember being stuck in three years of writing my current blog.
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That is such an insightful comment! I did exactly that and wrote down piece of inspiration wherever I had them during my block but even when I tried to start a new draft, the words wouldn’t come.
I couldn’t write anything comprehensively and ended up discouraged and frustrated.
At one point, I just did not want to write because of those feelings. That’s what writer block is for me and I find it so interesting to read your point of view. You think of writer block as a lack of ideas and I view it as a lack of… of motivation, of drive, of the writer mind space needed to produce quality work, I guess!
Everyone experiences something different with it. Thank you so much for commenting! 😊🙏🏽
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I guess I think of motivation as a wider reaching element of blogging, literally, why we have a blog, or why we write. If we find we’re often lacking motivation to write new material for a blog, then maybe we need to ask why we’re doing it at all? Could we write in a different way, in a different format or platform? To a different audience? By hand instead of on a computer? Something entirely different to blog articles, like some poetry or a story?
My basic motivation for writing my blog is 1) it helps me figure stuff out that I sometimes can’t do by thinking alone 2) I like hearing other people’s thoughts on topics I’m thinking about 3) I like to share experiences I’ve had that might help others 4) I want to build and provide a community for people with similar interests/thoughts.
I don’t ever seem to lack motivation to write because all of these things are important to me to continue doing, I guess that’s why I assumed that writers block would only come from a lack of ideas, I think perhaps I take the motivation for granted, I never think about it.
Yes it is very interesting to read different people’s interpretations and experiences of writers block, which on the surface some might assume is experienced in exactly the same way for everyone. Good to talk!
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I see exactly what you mean. There are some golden and inspiring sentences in your comment and I am grateful you shared them here. I loved our exchange, thank you! Great talk indeed! 🙏🏽
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By the way, I’ve nominated you for Sunshine Blogger Award. It’s richly deserved, I love the aesthetic of your blog as well as the content.
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I don’t know what that award is, but thanks!
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😂😂😂 It’s OK, you can take this as an acknowledgement I love your blog and I’m grateful you share it with the world!
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Thank you, I appreciate you saying.
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😁
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Great tips!
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Thank you!! 🙂
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Very rich post here. I want to thank you.
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The only time I get writer’s block is when I stop and think about ‘what I want to write about.” If I just …. WRITE… I’m in good shape. 🙂 Great tips.
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Thank you so much!
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That’s all you can do – try to get over it, but if that doesn’t work – just roll with it.
I particularly liked your suggestion to keep a list of ideas/ topics that pop into your head. When that happens, I think that the block is over and I jump into writing, only to realize that it is not over, and I’m back to square one. This way I will give myself more needed time. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Thank you so much for leaving such a greatly written review! I appreciate it! Oh, how I can relate to it too! the list of ideas is definitely not a cure to the block but I thing using creative apps like trello to gather every bit of ideas and projects is a good way to start scratching that writer block off ^^
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