Week 11 Term 1 - Writer's block

I have had my fair share of driving over potholes on my way to work. Every time I have drive over the potholes I get a shock, it breaks the smoothness of the drive and throws me off my train of thought. I tend to drift in and out of my morning reflections while I am driving - what I need to do, who I need to see and more importantly what do I want for dinner. The sudden hit of the pothole while I am driving breaks my reflection and I am immediately brought back into the reality of Auckland traffic and poor road conditions. This seemingly minor 'first world problem' has at the best of times blocked me from my daily morning mental ritual and I (for the most part) struggle to see past it for the remainder of my drive to work and all I can think about is the pothole and potential damage to my tyres. Why am I talking about this? I see writer's block as a pothole. Currently I am sitting in my class trying to think of what to write for my last post of Term 1 2021. There is a lot going on professionally and personally but I cannot seem to grasp any of it and cannot find anything to inspire me to write. I figured writing about 'writer's block' will me find some sense in what I want to write. 

Jeff Goins writes "The reasons for your block may vary, but some common ones include:
Timing: It's simply not the right time to write. Your ideas may need to stew a little longer before writing them down.
Fear: Many writers struggle with being afraid, with putting their ideas (and themselves) out there for everyone to see and critique. Fear is a major reason some writers never become writers.
Perfectionism: You want everything to be just right before you ever put pen to paper or touch a keyboard. You try to get it perfect in your head and never do, so you never begin. To help you through this, we created Don't Hit Publish. It's a free tool that tells you if your blog post is good enough to publish and also give you tips on how to improve it."

My mind right now is not in any state to reflect or inspire, to be completely honest I am just tired and hungry. But in my writing condition and in reading Jeff Goin's reasons for writer's block I feel inspired to reflect on how these reasons hold some meaning in my journey in Term 1. Is it safe to say that my writer's block has been cured? We will see. 

TIMING

the choice, judgement, or control of when something should be done

Time management is something that I struggle with. As I have mentioned in my earlier post, prioritizing is an approach that I have adopted in my daily routine and in return I have a new sense of organization in my life. Key word - prioritizing - has been vital for me, to put things in order of importance rather than convenience. The timing of certain events in Term 1 has been challenging - with two lockdowns alone - my time in the last 11 weeks have been focused on prioritized learning and meeting the deadline. I am really pleased with the progress that my junior and senior classes have made this term. We have focused on meeting our deadlines in terms of assessments and most are going to be finishing the term with 3 credits at least. I am grateful that the timing in my junior and senior programs have been driven by the goal of completing assessments. It has given the students a sense of purpose and knowing what they are doing, more importantly it has given them a sense of achievement. 

FEAR

an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.

There has been an element of fear this term. The fear of the 'unknown' or 'what if' with the two lockdowns. I am not traumatized by the lockdown but I have struggled to deal with the 'stop/start' nature of this term. With Polyfest looming around the corner (literally in 4 days) I have been worried about possibility of another cancellation. With my writing I am become worried about not meeting my weekly posts and I think in a sense that has taken the joy out of writing for me. I am looking forward to the holiday because I am hoping to regain some sense of normalcy, regroup and get back to reading so that I an be inspired to write again. 

PERFECTIONISM

refusal to accept any standard short of perfection

We all aspire to be great, we all want great things in our lives - perfection and excellence is an aspiration. Is it a reality? No. I think being a perfectionist can be powerful if you use this as drive to motivate yourself. If it becomes a measure on how you see yourself or compare yourself to others, it can be destructive. As an amateur writer I have dealt with the dilemma with trying to make everything I write perfect. I have learnt that the most important audience for me as a writer is myself. Is what I am writing spark some kind of joy or inspiration for myself? I write for myself, to reflect and learn, in all of it's imperfections. In the last leg of our campaign for Polyfest 2021, the aim for perfection and excellence with the performance is high. I have learnt very quickly that while this goal is good in terms of creating a good work ethic, it is important not to measure yourself to a standard that this impossible to achieve. 'Doing your best' is the approach to perfection. 

Jeff Goins provides some creative solutions on what to do when faced with writer's block. He writes "

• Go for a walk.
• Eliminate distractions (I use Ommwriter to focus on just writing).
• Do something to get your blood flowing. (I like running.)
• Play. (My personal preference is LEGOS.)
• Change your environment.
• Read a book.
• Freewrite.
• Listen to music (try classical or jazz to mix it up).
• Brew some coffee (my personal favorite).
• Create a routine. Many famous writers have daily routines to summon the Muse.
• Spend time with someone who makes you feel good.
• Call an old friend.
• Brainstorm ideas in bullet points.
• Read some inspiring quotes to get you started"

I look forward to going on term break, to try out these creative solutions and come back refreshed and renewed.