People who have never had
writer’s block
believe it is due to
a lack of ideas
or
a need for perfection
or
some other trivial cause.
I wrote professionally
for over a decade full time
before I experienced my first bout
of writer’s block.
It was one of the scariest things
I’ve encountered
as a writer.
I knew what I wanted to write,
had a fully developed premise.
I looked in my brain
and there was nothing.
There were no words.
THAT is what professional writers mean
when they say they ‘have nothing.’
All that is in their brain
is a dark void.
This happens eventually
to all writers.
It also happens eventually
to other creative people
like new business development folks.
It is scary
and it is real
and people who haven’t experienced it
will make it sound
like an affliction
that is easy to fix.
It isn’t easy to fix.
Writer’s block (or creator’s block)
CAN be cured
but it will take effort,
usually a variety of different techniques,
and often some time away
from creating.
If you’re fortunate
to have a long career in creating,
writer’s block will likely happen
to you.
It is normal
and to be expected.
Plan for that time off.
Gather coping techniques.
You and your career or business
will survive this.