Writer’s block is so widespread that it’s a common theme in movies and fiction. Over the past year, I’ve seen what used to be a steady stream of new ideas and work reduce to a trickle.
Like many artists, this is due to personal transitions that have taken much of my focus from my work. Not only did I have less time, but I also felt drained.
It came just as I was at a turning point, soaking up learnings from conferences, mentorship programs and self-directed learning. Suddenly, writing was about structure, characters and style. Adding this new discipline required facing my internal critic in a way I hadn’t when I penned the first draft of my novel during the pandemic – alone and unsure of whether I would ever share it publicly.
I tried journaling, soaking up other forms of art. The visual arts have always been especially inspiring. This is why Visual Journaling has been such a powerful tool. I use drawing and poetry – both of which I have no formal training in – to create works which I have no intention of pusuing professionally. Creating without judgement has been liberating and helped me find artistic release in small bursts of creativity.
I’m happy to say that it’s been over a year… but I am finally writing again. After closing some personal chapters and opening new ones, I am able to do the same, quite literally on my novel.
My Writing Story 