Words By: Lineo Segoete | (photo by Drew Coffman via Flickr/CC)
Writer’s block doesn’t exist; you’re simply over-thinking it. Inspiration comes from the strangest of places, last year the people at Chiko came up with a design for sandals inspired by a spider-web. Innovative! Who is to say your next piece or song will not be inspired by some silly thing you heard a toddler speak as you walked/drove past, or the rhythm of your movements while mopping the floor? The trick is to be present even through the most trivial tasks. Here are 3 ways (for practicality’s sake) to unclog your writer’s block:
- The great outdoors do wonders for a cluttered mind.
Just think about all the gallivanting Richard Branson does around the world. Chances are each adventure inspires his next multi-million Pound venture, merger or investment. If hiking, paragliding or off-roading and the likes aren’t your thing, that’s cool, just find something doable within your area, heck even a swim will do. Our ideas of adventure are different, so if yours is to talk to a complete stranger you have nothing in common with then do that but by all means invite some adventure into your life.
- Do household chores
Engaging in seemingly mundane tasks (i.e chores or some manual labour) clears the mind because one is focused on efficiency and not hard mental labour: You want those dishes clean because quite frankly your kitchen just smells better that way. Clearing the laundry frees up space in your house and in your mind, not to mention you’ll smell all kinds of fresh in clean clothes. A well-prepared tasty meal takes one’s insides to happy places, especially because it means you have successfully managed not to poison yourself and/or your guest(s).
- Walk around the block
Take more walks. Walking has been proven to have therapeutic qualities that enhance creativity because you are guaranteed to bump into something new and different each time. You can soundtrack the activity by compiling a playlist to suit your loitering about for observation’s sake your. Or you can leave your headphones at home so you can hear noises, voices and unusual sounds. The newness and even unpredictability of what you might encounter stimulates the mind by giving it something different to digest. Conversely, if you feel that all you see is the usual stuff that too presents an opportunity to exploit your imagination. With each step you take you have the liberty to picture your ideal reality.
Writer’s block? It’s all in your head Holmes, stop traumatizing your creativity with that kind of thinking. If anything, it’s a cover-up for being lazy 😉
