Creative Blocks

Hello wonderful people.

Creative blocks

Definition:

Writer's block is primarily the result of a neurological, almost Pavlovian, reflex that results from years of schooling in a system where everything is graded. When presented with a possibility of failure, our brain chooses to do nothing instead. It's a evolutionary defensive mechanism from the days of cavemen, where making a mistake could be fatal, but remaining paralyzed in your cave could keep you safe. This mechanism is still in our brains and creeps into our lives in strange ways in modern times. This is how stage freight works and, to a lesser extent, writers block. We're so afraid of "doing something wrong", that we do nothing.

The cure for this is to constantly remind yourself that your first draft will be seen by no human eye but your own. There is no such thing as a mistake in a first draft. Write fearlessly, edit mercilessly.

- Cut-Effective, Reddit User

Note:

Some of these will be contradictory. That’s ok. Take what works for you.

Actions:

1. Drink water.

2. Get outside.

3. Exercise.

4. Get some sleep.

5. Rick Rubin - Write atleast one sentence a day, regardless of how good or bad. Just commit.

6. Rick Rubin - Change the environment. If you’re a musician, play in the dark, hold the microphone instead of standing in front of it, record in the morning instead of the night.

7. Rick Rubin - Change the stakes. Imagine this is the last time you're doing something.

8. Rick Rubin - Invite an audience. Even if the art/work 'is non-performative, it will still likely change with an observer present.

9. Rick Rubin - Change the context. Create new meaning or an additional backstory when you aren't connecting with the work.

10. Rick Rubin - Alter the perspective. With musicians, turn the volumne up extremely loud to trigger quieter vocals or coax someone to sing louder, with more energy, by turning the volumn down. In a concert, setting up the lighting so a performer either sees the crowd and faces in it or can't see anyone at all will alter the performance.

11. Rick Rubin - Write for someone else.

12. Matthias Ott - Inspiration strikes not when we sit and wait but when we start immersing ourselves in a problem. So don’t wait for the muse to kiss you. Walk on.

13. Matthias Ott - Think of it as a short break, not a block

14. Matthias Ott - If you write on a laptop, try writing by hand.

15. Matthias Ott - If you’re right-handed, try painting with your left.

16. Matthias Ott - If you always write long paragraphs, force yourself to only write short sentences.

17. Matthias Ott - If you always use small fonts, go with big typography.

18. Sam Parr - Do copywork if you’re stuck with finding your own voice.

19. Ed Sheeran - Put your tools down and stop trying. Leave it for a couple of weeks, come back, and usually all is good.

20. Melissa McPhail - A block could suggest you’ve taken something in the wrong direction. Go back to where the story was last flying along and read forward from there, specifically looking for where the scene went astray. Find that point and rewrite from there.

21. Melissa McPhail - Think of it as story block, not writer’s block.

22. Remove distractions. Put your phone on Airplane Mode.

23. Change your location and where you work. If it’s usually at home, try a coffee shop.

24. Change the sounds. If you’re used to working in silence, try putting on music.

25. Force yourself to write/draw/paint badly. Then go back and critique it.

26. Force yourself to write/draw/paint badly. Keep going until the work gets better.

27. Be productive - in another area. Do some chores, play games, nail a skincare routine, clear out the garage.

28. Don’t pick up where you left off. If it’s the second chapter, skip to the fifth.

29. Daydream.

30. Write ahead a little. If you want to start a new lyric or chapter tomorrow, try writing the first line the night before so you’re not starting from a blank page.

Quote:

Age enough to worry about not making enough of an impact with your life. Few things are more motivating than believing you lived for nothing so you’d better leave something behind.

- Unknown

Remember:

1. This is normal.

2. It’s a great day to have a great day.

3. But also, tomorrow is a new day.

That’s all folks,

PJ