4 ways to overcome your creative crisis

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What if the inspiration has disappeared in an unknown direction and does not think to come back? Editor and writer Brandon Turner knows four ways to get out of this messy situation.

You firmly decided to write something, sat down at your workplace, opened your laptop and a text editor, but the inspiration suddenly disappeared somewhere insidiously. A good half hour has passed, and you continue to sit in front of a completely blank page.

It doesn't matter what you're trying to write: a book, blog post, or whatever. The writing block, or creative dead end, is a very real thing that will slow down your work and be annoying to the point of impossibility.

It is unlikely that any of us can 100% guarantee that every day, under any conditions and weather, they will be able to freely issue one, or even several, ideal texts.

Inspiration is a capricious and fickle thing, so you need to be able to write without waiting for it. Below are four simple tips that should help you in this situation.

1. Use kindergarten tricks

Remember, when you were a child, teachers probably more than once asked you to complete an assignment in which it was necessary to fill in the blanks with missing words. Something like that:

My favorite color - _.

My mother's name - _.

When I grow up, I want to be _ because _.

It was unlikely that you then experienced any special difficulties in completing this task, right? There was no question of any creative blocks. The reason for this simplicity is that the topic was already predetermined and all that was required of you was simply to write the right words in the right places.

This is why filling in the gaps in work is considered the easiest way to overcome the writing block. A detailed action plan will help you. The more details and subtleties you can pre-think and mentally place in your still imaginary text, the easier it will ultimately be to write.

Today, before answering letters to the right people, I spent five minutes outlining every thought I would like to convey. Therefore, when it came time to write the letters themselves, all I had to do was just “fill in the blanks” for each specific letter, expand each idea point by point. Writing the letters did not take much time: it took only half an hour to sort out the mail. I got through so quickly only because I didn't have to make any decisions. There was no such thing that I just sat and thought: "Hmm, but what should I write about today?"

Brandon Turner

The most difficult part of the job is the decision-making process. Therefore, if you cope with this task in advance, you will make your life much easier. Keep it simple: when you realize you can't get off the ground, just remember this naive kindergarten method.

2. Follow the example of professional athletes

Have you ever seen a professional golfer getting ready to put a ball into a hole? Pay attention to how a basketball player implements a free throw? Or how does a baseball pitcher serve the ball?

When athletes are about to perform a trick that they have done a million times already, they almost always adhere to some pre-established order. For example, they take three steps to the right, roll the ball in their hand, or bounce it off the floor. They all have a little ritual that precedes the routine.

Why would they do it? The pre-established order helps to tune in to the correct execution of the action and reinforces a kind of "success mindset". The same rules apply for writers. It's time to come up with a couple of rituals for yourself.

When Brandon Turner wrote his first book, his daily routine was very simple:

Get up at 5:30.

Drink a glass of water.

Do a five-minute charge.

Sit a little on the couch (always in the same place).

Open laptop.

View a pre-thought plan of action.

Start filling in the blanks.

Brandon assures that he followed this schedule every day for a hundred days and never faced a creative crisis. With a well-defined daily routine, he got to work right away, limiting any distractions that could lead to disability.

Here are some guidelines to help you get into your work rhythm faster:

• Write in the same fixed place.
• Write at the same time.
• Listen to the same song before work.
• Use the same text editor for writing.
• Write every day. Nothing kills the routine faster than a weekend.

3. Add some weirdness

This point may sound a little outlandish to you, but Brandon insists that this is one of the best ways to overcome the difficulties that can arise when writing.

First, decide who you are writing for. No, there is no need to invent an abstract character of any gender, age or profession. Find a real, real person for whom you will write.

Browse your social media friends and pick one specific person. It might be your mom, some other relative, or a guy you didn't know in high school with.

Once you've found the lucky one, print out a picture of him (yes, this is where things start to get weird). Do not print a huge portrait, limit yourself to a small photograph. Place it near your workplace (no need to stick needles into it).

Now all you have to do is write for this person. How would you explain the topic to him or her? How would you tell your story? It turns out that instead of writing to some unknown reader, you are now writing for a specific person. Surprisingly, this little trick really works.

4. Write as much as possible

Often the cause of a creative deadlock is not a lack of inspiration, but banal self-criticism. You start to write, then you reread, and in a moment you are already overwhelmed with total dissatisfaction with yourself. The only question that you are asking yourself at this moment is, "Who wrote this heck?"

Instead, just slow down. Stop, take a break. You are now too unsettled to move on, doubts about your writing skills crept into you. That is why you are slipping.

When I write, I just write. I don't edit, I don't look back, I don't try to double-check every sentence. If I feel like I'm stuck, then I just write more. Much more. And then a little more. After I finish writing the daily quota, I can go back to correct the text a little, but I never let self-criticism take over. Continuing to write is the best way out for me.

Brandon Turner

If you feel like you can't write, don't panic. To get over your creativity breakdown, try some of these tips in practice.