Writer’s Block
When people ask what I do for a living and I say “I’m a writer,” their follow-up question often is, “Do you ever get writer’s block?” Apparently it’s a well-known malady, and my answer is, “Yes, I do.” And perhaps my follow-up comment should be, “And don’t you?”
Writer’s block is a real ailment that’s best described as a total vacuum of any creative thought. You sit down to work on something and you find that your thoughts are empty. And like a bad stutter or stammer, the more you try to break through it and gain control, the worse it gets until you find yourself losing hours or even days just staring at a piece of paper or a computer screen.
However, I’m pretty sure that anyone who sets out to create something – and that’s more of you than you may think – experiences a similar block at some point. And if we don’t go through it in our work, we go through it in our lives; we go through a time when we’re not feeling creative, expressive, motivated or inspired. It can occur in all aspects of life, including our spiritual life. We can get stuck, going through the motions of worship and prayer but not feeling anything.
I don’t know what causes writer’s block, but I’ve found the best way to break through it is to get as far away from writing as I can. For me that means taking a long walk or bike ride at the lake, working in the yard, cleaning house, running errands I’ve been putting off, taking a drive somewhere, getting out and being around people. I find that when I put my hands and my mind to doing other tasks, the ordinary things that I see and hear begin to connect in new ways and creative thoughts come tumbling back to me. Before long I can’t wait to get back to my desk and write them down.
Some of the things I do for writer’s block can break the spiritual block too. Sometimes the best solution is to get out of the pew and into the community – whether that’s the immediate church community, the neighborhood or the world. Manual labor is a great way to clear the head and gain new perspective, especially if it is directed toward helping someone in need. Habitat for Humanity is a well-known avenue for doing that; most towns have their own version of programs that have people helping each other. Out in the country, it may just be neighbors helping neighbors.
The point is that wherever you take the body, the spirit is sure to follow. And if it is a new, meaningful experience, the spirit will be refreshed.