May Flowers & Writers Block

Spring has finally sprung! The last blanket of snow has been lifted to reveal the fresh soil of opportunities that were tucked away beneath for longer than any of us had expected. Winter seemed to drag on this year; almost as if mother nature felt like we could all use the extra time to hibernate before emerging anew.

I will admit, even with the extra time, I have found my inspiration to be in a constant state of ebb and flow. Some days, I find that I could sit at my laptop for hours on end typing away, page after page - others, the day is not long enough, and my mental capacity too limited to make any real effort. My routine has not yet stabilized, and while I do believe this is a valid justification, one could easily say that it's also a convenient excuse.

Spring is a time for creativity, for new beginnings, for celebrating the transition from the dark and cold, to the bright and lively. And, to be honest, with all this extra sunlight, there truly is no better time to delve deeper into hobbies and and ongoing projects. But then, why do I find myself stuck in a staggnant pool of dead-end inspiration? I suppose two things can be true at the same time - as frustratingly cliche as that line happens to be.

I have continued to struggle on the tightrope that is work and life balance. I spend 60% of my day sitting inside answering emails and using what little brain power I can muster to solve problems and manage conflicts between staff and customers, which, as I am sure you imagine, leaves very little left at the end of the day to put towards any meaningful writing. I am sad to report that my current work in progress has sat, untouched on my desktop, for almost two months now. Womp, womp.

This has also impacted other areas outside of my hobbies and pastimes. I have found since last fall that my work life has slowly encroached on my social capabilities - primarly, responding to messages from friends that I do not have the oportunity to see on a daily basis and upkeeping correspondence with other writers as I attempt to build and engage with community. But, we can circle back on this in a future post, as I may need a bit more space and time to fully figure out how to untangle these thicker vines of life.

So, what initiatives am I taking to conquer every writers biggest adversary; the ever tenacious and deterring writer's block? Well, by making a list of ways to break the curse, of course:

1. Get outside - the sun is shining and is staying in the sky for longer and longer with each passing day. My husband has recently set up a beautiful patio set in our backyard, complete with a small table and comfy couch. I would be remise if I did not take the opportunity to lounge outdoors with my puppies and see if the fresh air and extra vitamin D helps tear down the wall my mind has placed between myself and my story.

   
   

2. Make a vision board - I know, I know! I already have about a million different pinterest boards on the go, just collecting random ideas and pictures for various seasons of my life. At least it's electronic clutter and not physical stacks in a hallway or miniatures sitting around in a display case. Having said that, a vision board would be a great way to compile all the inspiration and "vibey" photos that keep me excited about my current project, and may even provide me with some new twists and turns to integrate within the storyline.

   
   

3. (In a very similar stream of thought) Make a playlist - why stop at a vision board? A playlist dedicated and tailored to my current writing project may be just what I need to get my mind in the right space to begin putting words down onto the page.

   
   

4. TREATS - Whats the point of sitting down to write without a nice little of matcha or a bowl of freshly picked strawberries? (Okay, strawberries freshly picked from my local supermarket, but the point remains). The brain needs food to function, and maybe having something sweet and tasty close at hand will give me the boost I need to fight off any lurking writer's block.

   
   

5. Shut-off the internet - nothing is more distracting than having the whole world at the tips of your fingers, all day, every day. I am convinced that the overwhelming amount of time I spend online, logged into outlook, answering emails and attending teams-meetings is slowly causing my brain to rot from the inside-out. My daily work commitments have me glued to the internet and constantly researching across the wide-web. Maybe turning-off the internet in the evenings will remove the suffocating need to be "connected" and allow me to tune in to my creativity more exclusively.

Now, I know what you are thinking, dear reader - this is not some life-altering, never before heard of list of orignal thoughts. Of this, I am fully aware. However, with Spring in full bloom and Summer just around the bend (literally 1 week away by the time of this post), I am hoping that the act of compiling this list will serve as an intentional reminder to myself that there are ways to coerce inspiration back into my evenings. Spring has sprung, the weather has shifted into warmer climes, and there is no reason why I cannot indulge in my pastimes - I may just have to push through the writer's block and take inspiration by the horns.

HB