Present Penmanship: Conquering Writer's Block Mindfully

in voilk •  5 months ago

    Write like you’ve got just one last thing to write.

    When it comes to writing, there are a lot of issues that writers are faced with. For instance, when you’re trying to write, but can’t find a way forward. Occasionally it feels like you can’t write the first word to begin with, let alone find the right sentence to make up a post or an article.

    This is commonly known as writer's block.

    Where this block comes from, we don’t know...

    When we stare at a blank page, all we can see are pages ready to be filled.

    Tbh, I’ve found myself in situations where I can feel the writer's block like it’s something real a couple of times. These are moments where I find myself stalling for inspiration, but none ever seem to come.

    However, over time, I saw that deep down it’s all an illusion because it’s all psychological. This I believe boils down to our minds not being still and present enough in the task at hand, so we’re always met with resistance since we are not fully focused on the task in front of us.

    Stay rooted and write when you intend to write.

    Not a minute or a second later…Just do it

    Nowadays, we can agree that we’ve become so distracted and disconnected as individuals, and as a community.

    Most times it feels like we don’t have the time to accomplish what’s right in front of us. So we end up rushing through and end up not being able to giving our all.

    Imagine someone on his bed on a Sunday evening who is already thinking anxiously about the work to be accomplished on Monday. When all he could’ve done at that moment should’ve been to rest and relax, instead he’s thinking about another task/activity that’s to be done later in the future.

    Even the Bible said that we should not take thought of the morrow because the morrow will take care of itself. Some can say… so we shouldn’t save for the future or stuffs like that. Remember this is philosophical, and doesn’t mean you can’t make plans for the future, but rather to not live in the future at the expense of losing the present moment.

    Moreover, if you want to invest or save, you have to do that in the present, not the future.

    Do what’s right in front of you.

    Not another….

    When you’re supposed to be writing and still there staring at the blank page without writing anything, you’re definitely doing something else.

    Consider this in another way, for instance, when I hear people talk about their writing journey here on Hive, what I often hear people talk about is that — no one is reading my articles, and it feels like I’m shouting to the air all the time, so for that reason, I don’t feel motivated to write even when I intend to.

    Honestly, you might actually be doing that (writing to the void). Yet, as a writer, you are only allowed to worry about that later, not before.

    Don’t assume that because no one reads what you posted yesterday, then no one would want to read what it is you’re about to write today.

    When it’s time for you to write — Just Write….

    Don’t stop — even when any form of resistance shows up

    Personally, there are times when I want to just stop writing and go do something else.

    This can be for various reason, but most times, it’s because I feel like I’m not really making any headway with what I intend to write and talk about.

    This is true for many prolific writers here on Hive and outside Hive. And each one has their own reasons for not writing every time they sit down to write.

    I once read about the story of Mark Manson, where he shared his experience as a broke writer who was just trying to come up.

    He said there are times when he would want to write countless great ideas and points, but immediately he starts writing he lost the motivations and inspiration he started with, because almost everything(if not all) he’s written would later be removed by his editor, leaving only a few thousand words.

    This went on and on until he was able to get better at writing in a clear and concise manner that appeals to readers that later made his editor to remove less and less points each time.

    This is true for many book writers and if we are being honest the early stages are always shitty, same with the first drafts. And even after the edits, there’s always something to be removed or added.

    This is why we shouldn’t seek for perfection, and instead just write them out first.

    Don’t sweat it, just write, you can refine them later.

    And even after that, trust me, it’s still not going to be perfectly written out the way you want.

    This is why we’ve got to keep at it until we are able to at least be 99% able to put the perfect sentence together to make a great post/article.

    Lastly, write like it’s your last day/post

    I'm not saying you should write your last post and run off, or that something bad would happen to anyone.

    Instead, this is just a state of mind you can use to help you stay focused on the present because you won’t be writing anything else again after that.

    It’s like the doctor telling you that you’ve got just 7 days or let’s say 7 hours to live. If that happens, and you are only allowed to write a post about anything, trust me, you’ll find it funny that you would be able to put out your best ideas in those moments.

    Our brains are wired to be anxious about the future and if we are the type who is always caught up thinking about the future situations, this would help a great deal to remind our mind to stay rooted in the present because it’s doing it’s last job and doesn’t have to worry about the work to be done on Monday morning.

    Just say to yourself—this is the last post I will be writing on Hive.

    So why won’t you want to make it the best and a perfect one, since you won’t be making another one in the future

    Try it, and you’ll see how your brain and mind do the rest.

    However, one thing about tricks is that they could work for some people and not work for others.
    But it won’t hurt to give it a try. The only block we are faced with is not physical , but a psychological block.

    When it’s time to write — what do you do?

    Write or Worry

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