Blink. Blink. Blink.
The cursor stares mockingly at you, taunting your creative impotence. The page remains blank and unfilled. How did this happen? You used to be so prolific, so creatively fecund. Your mind was brimming with insightful, fascinating notions that were just begging to be shared with the world. Your mind was a crucible of wit and comprehension that you could once weave expertly into sentences so finely crafted that your literary sleight of hand bedazzled even your discerning sensibilities.
But now the well is dry, your mind is barren and the cursor still stares mockingly at you.
Blink. Blink. Blink.
Have no fear, your talent hasn’t left you. You’ve not forgotten how to write, and the skills that made your career haven’t vanished into the ether. It’s just a little creative block. As stubborn as it may seem now, it will pass. But you’ve got deadlines looming over you, and not a moment to waste. Isn’t there some way to expedite this creative block? Why, yes. Here are some easy and useful ways to shift the stubborn creative block and find that spark of inspiration again.
Get out and get moving
You may be reticent to leave your computer, but trust me inspiration is not going to strike at any moment if you stay where you are. Every moment staring at a blank screen is a moment wasted. So get up, get out of the house and get moving.
Proximity to nature is proven to boost productivity. If you can get to a national park or a nearby wood or field, then great but even a stroll down a tree-lined street or even spend a little time wandering round the garden. Spending time in the company of plants and trees or staring into custom firepits are helpful in lubricating the gears of creativity. Likewise, the act of walking has been proven to stimulate creative thinking. Looks like Hippocrates was right, walking is the best medicine.
Write freely
Sometimes, the best way to clear a creative blockage is with a stream of consciousness. Very often, writers block is an averse reaction to the uncertainty, spontaneity and experimentation that writing entails. Simply put, we’re paralysed by the prospect of spending hours on something that turns out to be garbage (which almost never happens). Thus, before settling down to the task at hand just spend 10 minutes writing whatever comes to mind. It will ease some of your creative inhibitions and help you find your creative rhythms.
Remove distractions
You probably do at least some of your work on a laptop computer. The trouble is that laptops not only facilitate our creative endeavors, they’re proliferate with distractions. It’s not unusual to sit down to get stuck into some serious work and twenty minutes later find one’s self scrolling through their social media feed.
If you think you can produce your best work amidst the distractions offered by an internet connection, think again. You should only be using your internet connection when carrying out research or taking a short break to let your mind rest. When engaged in writing, switch off your mobile phone and disable your internet connection. The lack of distractions will leave you no retreat from the creative process and you’ll be amazed how much your output increases.
