Writer’s Block Breakthrough, Two Techniques

Fear and comfortableness often prevent us from achieving a writer’s block breakthrough.

As with the common cold, writer’s block infects many, attacking writers of every ilk, from creative to business to technical. Fear and comfortableness are two overarching causes that prevent a writer’s block breakthrough.

All writing has a creative component, otherwise it’s plagiarism. Fear intimidates creativity and comfort sedates it. “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” [~Picasso]. Thus, creativity is an aggressor altering our status quo. Writer’s block is imprisonment in our fortress.

First Tip to Achieve Writer’s Block Breakthrough

As my first technique, I recommend examining the mix of people with whom we associate. Creativity needs disruptive people, people who challenge our status quo. Too often, we associate with people similar to us, who think and emote as we do. They reinforce our perspectives, not challenge them. It’s not important that they change our perspective; it’s important that they cause us to ponder more deeply. In this way, we develop our perspective with a new angle.

Second Tip to Achieve Writer’s Block Breakthrough

My second technique is a bit longer term. Just as ignoring people damages relationships, ignoring creativity makes us more susceptible to writer’s block. Therefore, when you have a creative idea, jot it down . . . anywhere . . . on your computer, phone, scrap paper, napkins or in small notebooks. At first, it doesn’t matter what the idea is. You need to let your creative self know his or her work is important to you even if it might not be its best work. Within a year, you will experience noticeable improvement not to mention have a wealth of ideas on your various lists.

Often writer’s block is nothing more than becoming comfortable with a certain line of thought or approach. This is when we must challenge the definitions and processes in our lives and acknowledge the ideas we do have.

How do you plan to destabilize your life?