When I was writing my dissertation, I often had trouble getting started on any given day. My adviser gave me this advice: "Write something, anything." Sometimes I would write the worst sentence or work on a footnote and edit a passage from the day before, but it got me started.
I have a rather odd case of writer's block these days.
It's not that I don't have things to say - because I always have things to say. I am not devoid of opinions or analyses or conjectures.
It's not that I don't like to write - because I do. It's always been cathartic for me. I love words and putting them together and bringing my thoughts to a page.
It's not even that I'm overwhelmed. It would be easy for me to say that motherhood, work, relationships, expat life and everything else going on in my life is just too much. But it's not.
It's more that I'm underwhelmed.
My life is great. My little family is the centre of my world, I enjoy my part-time teaching (for the most part) and I get to travel a lot. Why not write about that?
I have several articles by bloggers and journalists and psychologists. The wealth of information available on every topic is crazy. At times, I feel buried under all this info. But much of the time I shut off from it.
I'm underwhelmed by opinions on every-little-thing. I believe my voice matters and I think my experiences could help other people. But I just feel like I want to shrug my shoulders at all this content.
This is a rambly way to say that I actually appreciate the diversity of published opinions but I also think it's not enough for me.
What does this have to do with my writer's block?
I want to get over it.
I journaled extensively from age 15 and have shelves of bound books filled with hand-writing from my teenage years. I recognize the intrinsic value of writing and even if I feel a bit "meh" about the whole thing, it makes me feel better.
I write on this forum to semi-publicly share my thoughts and pretend like I have an audience. It's good for me to write something, write anything.
Write Something
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1 comments:
Maybe you don't have Writer's Block. Maybe you have Writer's Listen or Writer's Wait. Sometime it's the right time to settle into a quiet phase, time to regroup, recharge, let all that information overload settle, time to process it all. As much as you like to write & being an excellent writer, one day soon the compelling urge to write will hit you and you won't be able to write fast enough. Enjoy this period. It is when great ideas are born. I like the word "cogitate". Judy S.
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