How often do we find ourselves unable to get on with a task that we’d generally consider simple?
I’d like to believe that these ‘blocks’ in creativity or lack of inspiration are just tied to my writing, but it’s not the first time I find myself short on ideas for a work task or even something I’m personally keen to work on. There are several reasons why we might encounter a block in our creativity and inspiration. Boredom could be a valid reason. Stress is definitely a contributor, together with an overbrimming to do list. But I find that one major contributor is the infamous ‘Imposter Syndrome’.
By definition, Imposter syndrome is the psychological experience of feeling like a fake despite any genuine success that you have achieved. It can show up in a number of contexts of work, relationships, friendships, or just overall. For me, this is definitely true when it comes to writing. A lot of self doubt creeps in especially before I hit the post button when I’m about to publish a blog post, but given that I also write for work, I’d generally find myself nervous before sending out a Press Release or an article, for instance.
We occasionally find ourselves in transitional phases in our careers or lives, and get doubts about the unknown and what’s to come. I’ve been in a similar situation over recent months and I’ve found myself doubting my capabilities on several occasions. I feel that sometimes we just have to give ourselves some space and time to navigate our way through our thoughts and emotions. But how much time is too much time? When do we say enough of this and what can we do to get our ‘rhythm’ back?
Of course I’m no expert and definitely anything but a psychologist or any other kind of professional, but I can share tips that I’ve been using to find the confidence I need as I navigate through new responsibilities at work, together with finding my inspiration to start writing and blogging again.
Starting with work I think the key was reminding myself that the new tasks that I was getting stuck on, weren’t actually new at all. I have been working on similar tasks for years. They’re just falling under a new category or umbrella, and perhaps have a slightly different title, but what I need to do is pretty much what I’ve always done, and I’ve been given these responsibilities because I’ve already proven that I can handle them, and perhaps I’m even good at them. It’s literally a matter of finding that inner confidence that gives you the push to get going again. Once you do, you’ll realise that you’ve had the skill and knowledge all along.
Research
If you’re still stuck or unsure of how to go about a particular task, research about it. Just attempt a simple Google search and see what comes up. Take a look at Pinterest, and see whether any ideas are inspiring enough, or perhaps you’ll find them lame and come up with better ways to go about that task yourself, hence triggering your inspiration and creativity. I actually used this a lot to help me find my motivation to write again. I looked up anything from ‘being a writer’, to ‘writing techniques’, to ‘blogging ideas’, even going back to ‘how to start a blog’. I didn’t agree with all I read, especially considering it’s so obvious that most bloggers write specifically to make money, not to share their thoughts with the world, but it helped me understand better what I’d like to focus on.
Discussion
I find that sharing my thoughts and concerns with a close friend or family member can be really helpful. Not only will they give you a different perspective, but they will generally also reassure you and remind you that you are capable of taking on a particular challenge. But brainstorming an idea will automatically help you process your thoughts, and that can trigger the answers that you’ve been searching for. Furthermore, once you discuss something that you’re meant to be working on, let’s take my writing as an example, you’d be determined to see it through, because your friend will probably ask about it. (I’ve literally been asked whether I’m writing, what I’m writing about and when they’ll be able to read a new post. So big thanks to those people in my life who have been pushing me and encouraging me to pick this up again… you know who you are.)
Read
This, I think, is particularly important to writers, when it comes to actual writer’s block. If you want inspiration, turn to the experts! There’s only one way to improve your writing and that’s by learning different styles and techniques. So if you find yourself unable to write, at least get lost in a book. Any book! And whilst getting lost in the story, and enjoying a little down time and relaxation, try to pay particular attention, to phrasing, subject choice, vocabulary, and whatever else might strike your fancy.
In terms, of a ‘block’ from working on tasks that are perhaps work related, nowadays we find books about practically every subject that we can think of. So I still encourage you to read. Find a book or two about that particular subject and see how other experts tackle situations, or perhaps take a look back at the fundamentals, the core values of that subject, and simply remind yourself of the basics, and how they’d normally help you approach certain issues. In general, reading will open your horizons and give you different perspectives. It can never do any harm to learn something new.
Write
Since I started thinking about blogging again, I would look at my old posts but never manage to start typing anything new. I just couldn’t get into the flow. It felt like I hadn’t written in ages and that I almost forgot how to do so. So I went back to basics. I grabbed a pen and paper and started writing whatever comes to mind, and I mean literally whatever gibberish infiltrates my thoughts! I promised myself that if I wouldn’t manage to start writing blog posts, I’ll at least start journaling more often, just to get into the habit of writing again… and guess what… it seems to have worked. My journaling (that I’ve been doing since I was around 10 years old) increased from once every fortnight, even less at times, to a couple of times a week. I still haven’t managed to get into a routine of writing every single day, but that’s the goal I’m working towards. This eventually led me back to my blog, and I finally started typing away.
It took a while to find my rhythm again. In fact, I kept attempting to write, deleting everything and starting from scratch, but at least I had started typing a few sentences and paragraphs out. Eventually, the flow started to return, and here I am with a couple of newly published posts. The challenge is always to keep finding sources of inspiration and to keep going. Unfortunately, both writer’s block and imposter syndrome have their ways of creeping back in, and that’s OK, as long as we remember that we have the tools to navigate through them and overcome them.
Do you have any strategies that you resort to when you find yourself in similar situations? It would be great if you’d share them in the comments below.
Featured image is by Steve Johnson on Unsplash.
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