I could make a comprehensive list of reasons why I haven’t been writing of late. But being honest, apart from a couple of genuine circumstances, the rest are just excuses.
What began as a misfortune that required my undivided attention, quickly spiraled into a low motivational rut. We’ve all been there!
During this period my laptop also fell apart and took seven weeks to repair. By week five I was quite emotional, I won’t lie.
Although this all sounds negative and depressing, I want this post to be a supportive, positive message to others who have found themselves in a similar slump, and serve as an opportunity to explore ways of crawling out of the pothole.
“Easier said than done,” I hear you say, and I totally agree.
One thing I know for sure, it takes more than a few cute memes telling me I should be writing to drag myself out of the swamp.
Let’s have a look then, at what may help.
Look Outside Your Normal Perimeters
Don’t underestimate a change of scenery!
Recently, we took our Miss Teen to Supa-Nova (Comic-con) in Melbourne. The…best…thing! Loved seeing everyone dressed in cos-play, and let me tell you some go to extraordinary lengths with their costumes, they looked amazing!
As well as TV stars, there were Artists, Writers and Authors sharing and selling their work. The atmosphere was palpable, you could feel the creative buzz. It would have been difficult for any artist or writer to walk away uninspired.
This isn’t somewhere I would go every weekend, but that’s my point. If you feel you’re in a hollow, then some place new or out of the ordinary for you, could be just what you need!
- A Local Library
- An Exhibition of any sort
- Book launches
- Writers’ Festivals
- A beautiful location, e.g. a beach, botanical garden, or rainforest walking track
- Or, any forum that attracts other artists or writers.
And in correlation to this –
Self-Nurturing
You would think this is a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how our own self-care can slip into second, third, or even further down the list of priorities, especially when there are so many other things going on in our lives.
There is nothing wrong with treating ourselves to an afternoon, a day, or a weekend of feeding our creative psyche. Dispense with the guilt – not easy I know – and do something for you.
Comparing Ourselves to Others
Just, don’t.
Comparing ourselves against other people’s progress and achievements can be detrimental to our own. Everyone’s journey is different and unique.
This is where social media can be a double-edged sword. Being supportive and having support is so important, and it’s wonderful to see, acknowledge and celebrate other writer’s accomplishments. But it’s also important to not get bogged down over posts about individual daily word counts etc.
Remember, their life is not yours, and yours is not theirs.
This again leads to the next point –
Perfectionism
I suspect that I’ve developed certain OCD tendencies. These started to surface as a result of my line of work, and has crept into my creative writing habits as well. Very difficult to dislodge, I agree, but not impossible, and I continue to work on this.
Being a perfectionist is time consuming, confidence devouring, and comes at a cost to our creative dreams. To me, the very meaning of being creative is to be free-spirited and not confined by barriers, including those we erect ourselves.
It’s no secret that perfectionists suffer burn-out and disappointment in themselves because they continually strive for unobtainable or unsustainable outputs. This is where low motivation can sneak in like decay into a weakened cavity.
The below is an article that really resonated with me, and I’m sure it will with others as well. It speaks of fear of making empty promises; fear of being ‘found out’ (good ol’ Imposter Syndrome); and why perfectionism is counterproductive.
7 Surprising Steps to Overcoming Perfectionism and Procrastination
Start Small and Keep Showing Up
What’s helped me, is to not act like I’m about to climb Mt Everest when I sit down to write. I’m not normally like this, and I know it’s just a symptom of being temporarily low.
To begin with, my only goal was to get this post up, as it’s been a while since my last. I didn’t set a firm deadline, just, I’d like it up within the fortnight and before the end of the month. And you know what? It’s taken me the whole fortnight to write it, and that’s ok!
The important thing when getting back into the swing, is to set small, achievable, bite size goals. And keep showing up. Even if it’s 20 minutes, half an hour, an hour. Whatever you can manage.
But the most crucial point?
