Reading, Writing, and Recipes
I’ve had the displeasure of having had both reading and writing blocks. It was frustrating and even anxiety-inducing. How could someone who LOVES books suddenly feel that passion go cold?
Reading block isn’t talked about much, but it not only exists, but it’s also pretty widespread. My last experience with RB occurred after I pushed myself to read a book that I kept expecting to get better. It was an award-winning, very popular novel that I dreaded reading. Still, I made myself read several pages every night before going to bed — except on nights I just couldn’t. The book acted like a virus that spread throughout my system. I started avoiding the other books on my TBR. Instead, I turned to television and social media, picking up the dreaded novel out of self-imposed guilt.
It was two months of reading boredom, and by the time I turned the last page, I wasn’t just frustrated, I was angry. While the book was well-crafted, the main character remained static in his development despite covering a fifteen-year span of time and simply seemed to exist despite the strange and sometimes ridiculous events surrounding him. When I finished the bestseller, I couldn’t get into another book for almost a year after. I tried, but the boredom would return, and I’d have to put books aside for another time.
Just a note that I’m not going to call the book stupid or the author talentless. Others may read that same novel and be blown away and excited for the author’s next work. It just wasn’t the book for me.
Eventually, the reading-block virus ran its course, and I found books that not only held my attention but prompted me to seek out more deliciously interesting fiction and non-fiction works that sparked my imagination and brought back my joy of reading.
I’ve since decided that I’ll no longer push myself to read a book that I don’t absolutely love — or at least stop reading when a book continues to frustrate me.
Writer’s block is a more familiar term, but it gets some backlash. There are still some writing “experts” that insist ALL writers write every day WITHOUT FAIL or excuse and insist that skipping a day or week means that one isn’t a writer at all since “writers write!”
But there is also a community of writers who refuse to be bullied into someone else’s idea of a “proper” writing schedule. It’s a group that recognizes that, like every job, you need to take breaks to maintain a healthy outlook. Like many of my fellow writers, I’m a grandmother who takes whole days off to spend with family. Or I’ll take care of my marketing and then go see a movie with my husband. I know that the next day I am at home alone, I’ll write.
But what if the inspiration isn’t there? What if the story isn’t moving? What if I just don’t feel like writing?
Well, when I have those days of writer’s block, I follow a recipe. Even when I don’t have writer’s block, but I’m not settled enough to create with words, I’ll head for the kitchen.
Because when I say I “follow a recipe,” I’m not being metaphorical. I tap on Pinterest, find something delicious, and begin following the instructions. It isn’t a quick fix. In fact, I purposely take my time. For a few months, I was on a baking kick, and while my writing went well, and it was great for my mental health, I decided I should probably cut back on my sugar intake and focus instead on cooking.
There is a meditative aspect to following a recipe. Today, I chopped onions, tomatillos, and jalapeños, as I compiled ingredients for a vegan pozole verde — my favorite homemade soup. While I listened to an audiobook, I cut and sauteed and stirred and enjoyed moments away from writing that was still creative and positive.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68742864955/sent/?invite_code=38e810c0f9a74c20bbc47820295a510e&sender=302374699889852799&sfo=1Creative acts have a completion point, and creative people tend to focus on the end goal, but sometimes that drive to finish hurts us. The joy dwindles, and we eventually find ourselves “blocked.” A mix of imaginative outlets can help us enjoy the journey as well as the destination.
