Writer's Block

Or "Why I haven't been Blogging as I promised"

It isn’t just a myth made by precious artists to increase their enigmatic allure as they wait for the muse to take them. Nor is it somehow a symptom of poor discipline or laziness (that is quite a different reason why I may neglect to write). There are times when the brain just refuses to compose. I have had times when my brain literally could not function properly – reading with any sense of understanding, writing academically or creatively with any sense of purpose, even making decisions about what to buy for tea feels like struggling against quicksand. In the end you just stop trying so you don’t sink any deeper into stress or despair. Instead you just wait for rescue. Tricks of the trade just don’t work. Breaking the blank page, writing something everyday however small, writing whatever comes into your head even if it is rubbish – all these fail to take into account your brain’s inability to make that step and write. So yes I can write a letter in work because to an extent it is routine. Yes I can join in facebook discussions cause they don’t really matter. And yes I will not starve because I will buy something for tea but it usually ends up being cheese and bread because it requires no effort or real thought. There are other times when it feels as if my brain is in rebellion. I am simply asking it to do too much. It seems this can actually be a problem for creative minds in particular. When the world throws too much information at you, too many emotions, too many signals to process and respond to then you just can’t process it all. Most people filter what they need to process and respond to. The creative mind, it is believed, tries to interact with it all. You unknowingly overload the circuits and a fuse blows. It has taken me a long time to recognise these patterns and to take charge of fixing the problem not just hitting my writing function with a spanner in the hope it will kick start it into productivity. If the tricks don’t work for you then maybe there is something deeper at the heart of it. Remember that the allusive muse finds expression through a physical body. Sleep well, make eating healthy a habit requiring no thought, have downtime, switch off, do stuff that doesn’t matter, meditate, walk, read only for the pleasure of it, sit in the sun, hang out with lovely people, laugh, listen to birdsong or music you adore, have picnics, breathe, and do not attempt to write until the thought of it ceases to paralyze your brain. Basically… try some new tricks.

(p.s. If you can’t sleep, are too exhausted to walk, can’t find anything to make you laugh then visit a doctor and get well xxx)