How to Crush Writer's Block

We all know that dreaded feeling of writer’s block.

We have set time aside. All the chores are done. Steaming hot coffee in the mug for that extra motivation. We have even beaten procrastination, and we’re finally sitting down to do our work.

But then-

Nothing is happening.

We’re writing a few words and it all sucks. We all out of ideas. It’s like the blank page and the blinking cursor is taunting you to come up with something. Mocking you.

Maybe we’re writing music and the little theme we come up with sounds exactly like the last 10 pieces we wrote.

Maybe you’re painting, and inspiration is not coming. You’ve done that type of painting a million times already, and you feel like giving up already.

Your self worth is down the drain, and you got nothing done that day. You close your laptop after a few token attempts, so you can tick off your to-do list.

You plop down on the couch and turn on a tv show you don’t even enjoy. Anything to forget that feeling that you kind of suck - at least for a bit.

So what do we do about this?

As you can imagine, the answer is not to give up. The answer is quite simple, it just requires a little shift in perspective.

When we start getting better at our craft, we put up more filters.

We know what’s good now, right?

When you were a beginner it didn’t matter if it was good. You were practicing and having fun.

Now that you’re more skilled, your stuff should be better. And that’s why you put up filters. You hold yourself to a higher standard.

This can be detrimental to our output. We start judging everything we make. We expect them to be perfect.

Thinking about it like this may seem negative, but there’s a perfectly good reason for this.

Understanding Writer’s Block - what it is and what it isn’t

As we get better and better at our craft, it’s like we’re tuning a radio to the frequency of good ideas. We know what a good idea looks like.

The problem occurs we tie our self worth to the fact that we’re getting some static in the beginning.

Writer’s block happens for two reasons:

1. We judge our creations too harshly. In stead of giving an idea space and letting it develop, we’re cutting it before it has time to show us what’s there. We found signal, but in stead of fine-tuning it to get a clearer signal, we abandon it.

2. We found static and we tie our self worth up in this fact. In stead of keeping at it, we abandon the session.

So the solution is two-fold: Don’t give up and lower your filter.

That’s it. Keep at it and when you find something that’s halfway decent, try to develop it.

The way I like to think about it is like this:

Imagine you’re driving to see your friends. It’s going to be a weekend full of good conversations and having fun.

About half an hour into the drive you encounter a road block. Do you turn around and drive home? No, obviously not. You find another way.

A driver who encounters a road block doesn’t think they’re a bad driver. They understand they just can’t go that way. When you’re facing writer’s block, it’s like you encountered a road block in the street and sit there staring at it.

Start viewing your work sessions this way.

It’s like the Universe is telling you “Hey buddy, you can’t go this way, there’s no good idea here”.

The reason this happens more as we get better at our craft, is exactly because we’re getting better at listening. The Universe points us in the right direction and we know how to listen.

We’re getting better at discerning signal (good ideas) from noise (bad ideas). The problem is that there’s a lot of noise. That has nothing to do with you.

The problem with writer’s block is that we can start identifying with it.

Stop saying “I have writer’s block” because this way you’re making it as if something is wrong with you.

Say “I’m facing writer’s block” in stead. Don’t identify with it and tie your self worth up in this.

What writer’s block is: A sign that you need to try something else.

What writer’s block is not: A sign of your incompetence, a sign that you have “lost it”, a sign that you need to give up. It's nothing like that.

Go for a walk, listen to music, do a writing exercise, watch a tutorial, get inspiration from somewhere else.

Looking at a blank project is clearly not working. That road is not available. Find another one. You’re just tuning your radio and finding some noise. Not a big deal. Keep looking.

Later in the letter we’ll talk about specific things you can do to break out and where to look for signal.

Embracing imperfection: The power of a first draft

One of the reasons we can judge our new ideas too harshly, is because we expect new ideas to be perfect from the start.

That’s not how creation works though. It’s drafts and edits and iterations. Over and over again.

If you just finished something amazing it can be even harder to start something new.

All ideas kind of suck in the beginning.

Very rarely do you come up with a first draft and it’s amazing. You forgot that that great thing you just finished kind of sucked in the beginning.

(I talk about developing your ideas more in this letter: LINK)

When you find something that has signal, you must do everything you can to get a first draft done as fast as possible.

If you write music, finish a draft of that whole section.

If you’re writing a novel, finish a draft of the whole chapter.

Only in context can you decide if an idea is worth pursuing.

In a letter in the future, we will talk about how to get first drafts done faster. But for now follow this guideline: If your first very rough draft takes more than 30 minutes to finish, you’re overthinking it.

So why do we have to go through this phase where things kind of suck, before they develop?

It’s because you are comparing something perfect with something that is not.

The realization of an idea is never going to be as perfect as the ideal version of that idea.

The ideal version of an idea is a flash of truth, an insight of the Universe you’re granted.

When you’re bringing something into this physical dimension, you can’t express a universal truth. You’re pointing at it from a certain perspective. This is because of the limitations imposed on us here. We can only ever hope to hint at truths.

Things are perfect before they get realized. Reality has flaws. In the idea dimension, ideas do not have the limitations of reality.

And so, we can be afraid to put pen to paper, as it were, and realize the idea where it will be less than perfect.

We have to be okay with this. Good art is not perfect. It is a perspective and a hint of something true.

The creator’s first aid kit: Practical solutions when facing writer’s block

Creating this mindset shift we discussed above goes a long way. The main thing is to stop identifying with writer’s block and see it as a sign that you need to try something else.

As promised, here’s what to actually do when you’re facing writer’s block:

1. Free creating with absolutely no judgment

It doesn’t matter what you create. Just do it. Put your metaphorical pen to paper and make whatever comes to mind with no judgment.

If you don’t know what to write, write “I don’t know what to write”. Soon, you’ll start writing about not knowing what to write. How it makes you feel. Why it sucks. The doubts that come with that, and so on.

Keep going.

It’s like we are telling the Universe “okay, my pen is to paper, please show me an open lane”. Soon you will get an idea. I promise. Stick with it.

It’s important to not worry about grammar, coherence, or punctuation.

We’re trying to shut up our inner critic here. Show that inner critic that mistakes are not going to prevent you from creating.

2. Expand your focus

Another way to deal with writer’s block is to go for a walk, go to the gym, play with your dog, watch or rewatch a tutorial, expand your focus. You can’t think outside the box by staring closer at it.

When facing a creative problem, often the best thing you can do is to go from narrowed focus to expanded focus.

(To read more about expanded and narrowed focus, read this: LINK)

It’s like the Universe is realizing “Ah, they’re ready for the insight now”. This is why shower thoughts are a thing.

Another way to do this is to try writing in a different location, such as a café, library, or park. A new environment can offer fresh perspectives.

Always work at the kitchen table? Go to a coffee shop. Always work at a coffee shop? Try working at your kitchen table.

3. Set a small, achievable goal

Breaking down your writing into smaller, manageable pieces can make it less daunting.

Set specific and attainable goals. Like writing for 10 minutes without stopping or completing a single paragraph. Just to see what happens. Then we judge it after we’re done writing. Maybe there’s something there. Maybe there isn’t.

But in all cases, you’ve now got the water flowing.

For this to work, it’s important that you don’t write and edit and critique at the same time.

For even more tips on how to deal with writer’s block and procrastination check out this article: Link

Proactive Writer’s Block prevention

You can use the three methods above as a first aid kit when you’re facing a block to get our of it quickly. But prevention is always better than medication.

There are things you can do to minimize the risk of facing it in the first place.

Not all these work for everyone. Do your own experiments and keep what works for you.

1. Minimize distraction

Turn off your phone, set a timer.

By sitting down and actually just doing, it can often get rid of writer’s block before it even occurs. When you see the timer ticking down, it gets rid of all unnecessary fluff and gets you to do your work.

Experiment with different amounts of time for super focused work to find what works for you.

For me, it works best to set a timer for two hours and hammer it out.

Some people prefer the “pomodoro technique”. This is where you work for 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break.

2. Design an inspiring and creative space

If you don’t have any pressing deadlines one day, take a look at your space.

Is it cluttered? Is it inspiring?

Take the day to hang some art or inspiring quotes on the wall, declutter and organize your room.

This is time well-spent. It will make you more productive, creative, and happy next time you sit down to do your work.

This can also extend to your digital space if you do most of your work on your computer. Do you have a bunch of files and folders on your desktop? Organize them.

You cannot overestimate the clarity of mind that comes from doing this.

3. The role of routine

Having a routine can be a double edged sword. You want to make sure you get everything done.

But you don’t want to get so rigid that it kills all creativity and you’re going through the motions.

Figure out when you’re most creative.

Then schedule your creative work with open ended sessions for these times. This is a great way to get the best of both worlds.

The only way to discover your optimal balance of routine and free flow is through trial and error.

4. Growing your idea tree

Having dedicated ideation sessions is crucial to have unlimited ideas. This is what I call "expanded focus" sessions.

You then have a folder full of ideas to use as starting points for the sessions where you sit down to get stuff done. I call this process growing your own idea tree.

For more info on how to start growing your own idea tree, read this: LINK

That’s it for this week. Hit reply and let me know what you think of all this.

We got this.

Dan