If you’ve ever written anything in your life - sometimes even a text can do it! - you’ve probably faced the dreaded “writer’s block” when you pick up that pen or power on that laptop and suddenly your mind goes blank.
If you’re wondering how I thought of the topic of this particular blog… Well, let’s just say that I’m pulling inspiration close to home this week.
Draw inspiration from your experience:
When I find myself staring at my screen intimidated beyond belief by the thought of crafting just one sentence, I find it’s useful to take a step away and go back to my well of inspiration. I ask myself… Why am I writing? What is it for?
Like most people, I draw inspiration from the things and the people around me, whether it’s my experience food prepping with my roommates or babysitting my cousin. Part of the reason is that, right now, the few human interactions that I have are what stick out most in my mind. But, it is also because this is what is beautiful to me... the relationships I have with the people I care about. This inspires creativity in me.
Remember your impact:
Of course, there are some times that I can’t pivot a funny experience from the previous month of "my" personal life into an informational and (I hope) interesting blog for you. Sometimes, it's because this week's topic is not conducive to an anecdotal lead-in, and sometimes because I simply had a dull month to reflect on.
In this case, I find it’s important to think of what you’re doing it for. Why do I find myself on a Sunday morning writing about inbox management?
Well, it’s because I have something useful to share with you. When I write, it’s because my words can make a difference. Whether it is to inspire or inform or just to make you smile, I write because what I create can help you out in some way. Sometimes that’s all it takes to bring me back to my writing station... my words have value.
Be Flexible:
You always have something important to say… but sometimes it can be extra difficult to unravel what exactly it is that you want to say this time. If you have it in your head that your newsletter for the month needs to be about X topic, but when the time comes you can only think of Y… just pick up the proverbial pen and write about what is on your mind!
Not only does this help me unclog the drain (so to speak) in general, but I usually find that I can make interesting connections between two things I had thought of before as disparate parts! Once you start, it is easier to keep going.
Take joy in the act itself:
All of this is well and good… but if you hate writing in general, even when the stars align, it can feel like an insurmountable task. The key, I think, is to find joy in the act of writing itself.
I’ve always loved writing; I can go on and on once I get started, playing around with the sentence structure and different turns of phrase and making myself laugh. It’s an act of artistry (yes, I am unironically calling my blogs about emails and online calendars “art”) that I really enjoy!
Words are beautiful. It’s so cool that we can look at a collection of lines on a screen and understand the thoughts of someone we’ve never met before. I know it’s easier said than done to love writing… but when you view it as an act of self-expression rather than a chore, the words really start flowing!
(Of course, if you don’t love writing that’s okay… you can still write like a rockstar if you want to, or outsource the task to someone else!)
If you hadn’t put it together yet, I found myself this week struggling with writer’s block each time I sat down to write this blog. Originally, I was supposed to write about what inspires me, which seemed like a huge task to tackle.
Ironically, it was my writer’s block that eventually got me inspired to write this - because this is an issue that we all face; and, hopefully, sharing my experience will help a fellow writer out there one day.
So, the next time you face writer’s block, you can try it my way:
Take inspiration from the experiences you’ve had recently, even if things fit in an unexpected way.
Value your expertise and remind yourself that whatever you write will be a service to someone else later on.
Be flexible with yourself and give yourself permission to just write about what you want; trust that you’ll end up where you want to be.
Take a step back and see the trees for the leaves. It’s amazing that you can write! Each blog or newsletter you write is a perfectly imperfect piece of art. Just take joy in the act of creation itself.
And…
5. If you really just aren’t feeling it… outsource to Assistants 4 Hire :)
Want to learn more about our business and what type of services we provide?
Visit us at:
Written by Jordan McAndrew
Comments