Guest Post About Overcoming Writer's Block
This is an awesome guest post written by my friend, Jay Noel, author of the upcoming steam-punk novel, Dragonfly Warrior. A busy, working professional and all around loving, family-guy, this Renaissance man somehow makes time for amazing, informative and inspiring blog posts. By the way, he began blogging before most of us even had a computer! Let's welcome Jay....
So many thanks to the lovely Eve for allowing me to be a guest on her equally lovely blog.
Since this blog is titled "The Desert Rocks," I thought about taking two biblical passages concerning splitting rocks in the desert:
He split the rocks in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
He brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
Now I'm not going to get all-biblical up in here, but these two passages are interesting. It deals with something coming from nothing. When you're lacking, suddenly you find yourself with an abundance of what you need to nourish you. (Sure, the people continued to sin against God, but let's not go there!)
Many artists find themselves without inspiration at times. Writers call it "writer's block." I've also heard it referred to as "art block." I call it: HELL ON EARTH.
Sometimes, the pressures and stresses of work interfere with my creative juices. Personal issues can too. I know several writers dealing with life and death situations with family members, and those things take priority. For many of us artists, the well simply dries up and it seems impossible to create anything.
So how the heck do we split rocks and find water when we feel uninspired?
1) See your art as work. If I'm a house builder, am I not going to build a house because I don't feel like it? I have blueprints, I have a budget, I have a deadline. Therefore, I will get my butt in gear and build that house. See your art as work. Set deadlines, set a schedule, and even when you don't feel like it, create something. It might be crappy, but it's a start.
2) Lean on your peers. Many times, just shooting the breeze and sharing ideas with a fellow artist can drum up inspiration. Bouncing off ideas with a friend can be energizing and fun.
3) Give yourself a break. Don't be so angry with yourself when you're thin on inspiration. Maybe take a little vacation after every project. Sometimes, absence does make the heart grow fonder. A little breathing room is often all it takes to get things going again.
4) Swim in a sea of awesomeness. If you're a writer, go read a book by an author you love. Maybe watch a movie that you've always admired. Check out the art museum. Surround yourself with the artists that have always inspired you. You just might catch the creation-bug again.
5) Try nature. There is something about being outside immersed in nature that inspires all artists. Take a walk, go find a nice quiet spot in the desert, the forest, by a babbling brook, or the beach. Whatever. It worked for Thoreau and Hemingway, and it will work for you.
Being an artist of any kind isn't easy. And there will be times where you will try to dig deep and come up empty handed. Relax, give yourself a chance to center yourself, and know that it too shall pass.
Soon, you will find water in the desert.
After doing some freelance writing and editing for more than a dozen years, Jay decided to stop procrastinating and pursue his dream of being a novelist. He's been blogging for over eight years, and even had a comedy podcast syndicated all over the internet. All of that was fun, but all the steampunk-inspired stories in his head just wouldn't leave him alone. Jay spends his days working in medical sales, but he can be found toiling over his laptop late at night when all is quiet.
He draws inspiration from all over: H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, and Isaac Asimov.
And Jay loves cookies.
Find more of Jay at his blog by going here:www.jaynoel.com
So many thanks to the lovely Eve for allowing me to be a guest on her equally lovely blog.
Since this blog is titled "The Desert Rocks," I thought about taking two biblical passages concerning splitting rocks in the desert:
He split the rocks in the wilderness
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;
He brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.
Now I'm not going to get all-biblical up in here, but these two passages are interesting. It deals with something coming from nothing. When you're lacking, suddenly you find yourself with an abundance of what you need to nourish you. (Sure, the people continued to sin against God, but let's not go there!)
Many artists find themselves without inspiration at times. Writers call it "writer's block." I've also heard it referred to as "art block." I call it: HELL ON EARTH.
Sometimes, the pressures and stresses of work interfere with my creative juices. Personal issues can too. I know several writers dealing with life and death situations with family members, and those things take priority. For many of us artists, the well simply dries up and it seems impossible to create anything.
So how the heck do we split rocks and find water when we feel uninspired?
1) See your art as work. If I'm a house builder, am I not going to build a house because I don't feel like it? I have blueprints, I have a budget, I have a deadline. Therefore, I will get my butt in gear and build that house. See your art as work. Set deadlines, set a schedule, and even when you don't feel like it, create something. It might be crappy, but it's a start.
2) Lean on your peers. Many times, just shooting the breeze and sharing ideas with a fellow artist can drum up inspiration. Bouncing off ideas with a friend can be energizing and fun.
3) Give yourself a break. Don't be so angry with yourself when you're thin on inspiration. Maybe take a little vacation after every project. Sometimes, absence does make the heart grow fonder. A little breathing room is often all it takes to get things going again.
4) Swim in a sea of awesomeness. If you're a writer, go read a book by an author you love. Maybe watch a movie that you've always admired. Check out the art museum. Surround yourself with the artists that have always inspired you. You just might catch the creation-bug again.
5) Try nature. There is something about being outside immersed in nature that inspires all artists. Take a walk, go find a nice quiet spot in the desert, the forest, by a babbling brook, or the beach. Whatever. It worked for Thoreau and Hemingway, and it will work for you.
Being an artist of any kind isn't easy. And there will be times where you will try to dig deep and come up empty handed. Relax, give yourself a chance to center yourself, and know that it too shall pass.
Soon, you will find water in the desert.
After doing some freelance writing and editing for more than a dozen years, Jay decided to stop procrastinating and pursue his dream of being a novelist. He's been blogging for over eight years, and even had a comedy podcast syndicated all over the internet. All of that was fun, but all the steampunk-inspired stories in his head just wouldn't leave him alone. Jay spends his days working in medical sales, but he can be found toiling over his laptop late at night when all is quiet.
He draws inspiration from all over: H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, and Isaac Asimov.
And Jay loves cookies.
Find more of Jay at his blog by going here:www.jaynoel.com
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