Writer’s block?
It’s a conversation that seems to be cropping up quite a lot at the moment. Writer’s block and the ongoing struggle to get the creative juices flowing. Even as someone who doesn’t normally want for words, I can find myself struggling to know what to say. Or rather, knowing where to start. Sometimes it feels like there are so many competing thoughts, words and ideas in my head I end up writing nothing and my brain feels like mulch.
If any of this is sounding remotely familiar, firstly don’t worry. You are not alone! When I feel myself heading into this zone I head outside for a walk. Sometimes it’s wet and cold, sometimes it’s sunny but whatever the weather, it never fails to empty the head or kickstart some clear thinking.
But, if heading for a bracing walk isn’t an option I’ve had a think and put together a few ideas to help you. These are the things that I do when I’m running out of steam and I’ve already had my daily dose of Vitamin D and fresh air. I’ve loosely grouped the ideas under three easy to remember headings:
- Look up
- Look around
- Look back
We don’t all need to be conversation starters all of the time.
Look up
Pause: Step away from the laptop and phone, hit the pause button and breathe.
Remember it’s your posting schedule so whether it’s an email newsletter, blog or social media, so be guided by what’s right for you. It’s so much better to work out what you can manage and do well rather than conforming to a set of rules made for someone else.
During this pause you might want to have a breather from posting your own content and have a complete break. But you don’t have to disappear completely. You can use this time to listen and be part of the conversation. We don’t all need to be conversation starters all of the time.
There is huge value in listening and contributing to someone else’s conversation whether online or in real life. And as meeting in real life gets harder, the more some of us turn to the online world.
Tap into the online world
I’m very happy working on my own but unsurprisingly, miss having other people to talk to and bounce ideas around with. This is where social media and the online world has stepped in. My mind has been opened to a whole world of ideas and opportunities that just wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t joined in a few conversations and expanded my network.
So this is the time to get out of your head and talk to someone else. And you could always ask your followers, subscribers and clients what they’d like you to talk about?
Feeling stuck is a sign that it’s time to try something different
Look around
Feeling stuck is often a sign that we’re overwhelmed, tired or that it’s time to try something different. When it hits, I tend to swap reading for listening. I think it’s all about hearing a different voice. Dialling into a different conversation and finding fresh perspectives.
Listen: Podcast, radio show or audio book. There’s something about hearing another voice that sparks ideas in a way that reading words on a page can’t always do (or scrolling a screen for that matter).
It’s that subtle change in tone, a hesitation or stumble that you can sometimes miss with the written word. I’ve listed some of my go-to listens here. And you’ll see there’s a bit of a theme, people telling the story of their life. But I’m always in the market for new podcasts and programmes to listen to, so let me know what you’re listening to.
- Grounded with Louis Theroux (love the Helena Bonham Carter & Lenny Henry episodes)
- Desert Island Discs (from present day to the back catalogue)
- The Mid Point with Gaby Logan (loved the episode with Andrew Cotter)
- How to fail with Elizabeth Day (Matthew Syed is my standout episode)
- Fake Heiress (a stranger than fiction real life story)
- The Ted Interview (sometimes aired on R4Extra & throws up some gems)
- Tunnel 29 (crossing the Berlin Wall – incredible stories of human endeavour and bravery)
Read: I don’t totally abandon reading during this phase but I tend to go for comfort reading. I’ll reread books or go to certain authors. The Rebus series by Ian Rankin normally appears as does either Vera or Shetland by Ann Cleeves. I also love Maggie O’Farrell or Anne Tyler during these quiet phases. There’s something comforting about losing yourself in a book but not having to tax the brain too much!
Try something different
Learn – Try something new. Video, infographics, quotes, stories and the rest. There are so many different ways for us to share what we do. Plus, trying a different format means you have to come up with fresh ways to get your message across. See what others are doing, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking everyone has it nailed. May be just take inspiration and work out what you could do given half an hour on Canva.
You never know, you might discover you’re a natural in front of the camera or that you have a knack with editing captions to music.
Because if we keep sending out the same message, in the same format time and time again, it just becomes white noise and even your most loyal followers will switch off.
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
Maya Angelou
Write: I know I’m biased but there is something so hugely cathartic and therapeutic about getting words out of your head and onto paper (real or virtual). I love my notebooks but I’ve had two discoveries in the past week which have been game changers. The first is www.750words.com and the other is London Writer’s Salon.
Both are based on creating space in your day to write and share similarities with Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.
750 words is really an online journal, without any fancy bells and whistles. You literally type into the box on the screen. There’s a challenge each month if you want a little extra nudge and you can set up a daily email reminder.
Alone but together
London Writer’s Salon is slightly different. It’s a daily zoom with a whole host of other people. So while you’re in your home, writing whatever you want to write, you know that there are other people doing the same, supporting you, albeit virtually and silently. The session starts with an affirmation and a warm welcome from the hosts before we toast each other with our mugs of tea and coffee and write.
We use the chat to share what we’re writing about and at the end of the session there might be some people might share what they’re working on.
I’m not a morning person at all, but this is a beautiful way to start the day. Both have been incredibly therapeutic and have led to moments of clarity and the sense of a weight being lifted.
Look back
Reflect: Time to look back through your blogs, feeds and newsletters and see how much you’ve shared already. Congratulate yourself before you start reflecting and analysing. It’s so easy to lose sight of what we’ve achieved. And when you’re ready, take a look at the data.
I’m really, really not a numbers person (I failed Maths O Level first time round) but even I can get my head round data and insights for my social media feeds and website. And I don’t think being married to a data analytics and insights specialist for almost 18 years has helped that much!
Take some time to get familiar with the numbers. Your insights will help you to build a clear picture of who your clients and followers are, how they’re engaging with you and the content they love, so that you can give them more of it.
Mind the (content) gap
And ask yourself if you’re giving your clients a true picture of who you are, what you do and the ethos behind your business? Or are you only giving them part of the story. These headings are pretty helpful to guide as you look back through your content.
Education (building brand awareness)
People (creating connections and relationships with people)
Selling (promoting your products and services)
Use your insights and these headings to spot the success and opportunities to plug any content gaps.
Small steps over none
Creativity is such a huge subject, there are so many different ways to unlock ideas and free your thoughts. Sometimes just taking one step is enough to open you up and get the ideas flowing. Other times it might take a little more work, but the key is to make a start.
And finally, don’t forget to move. Move and breathe. Breathing is something I often forget to do and is usually a sign that I need to hit pause. Sometimes we need to move the body and breathe deeply in order to unstick the mind.
Thank you for reading. I hope you’ve found it useful and I’d love to hear your ideas for breaking through writer’s block and getting the creative juices flowing again.
Harriet
