Do you ever deal with creative blocks? If so, do you have techniques for overcoming them?
I don’t believe in writer’s block. When I’m experiencing what feels like it, I know I need to do one of a few things. The first would be to stop writing and to focus on absorbing art. When I’m not happy with my writing, I know I need to spend more time listening, looking, reading, touching, and tasting other people’s creativity to feed my own.
The other thing I have to do is ask questions: Why am I stuck? Is it the piece? Am I feeling balanced enough in other areas in my life to flouring in my writing? Am I hungry? Am I tired? Am I stable and fed? Am I depressed? Do other things besides writing need attention in my life at the moment? Are the idea and the genre of what I’m working on agreeing with each other? Am I experiencing a road block or a directive to try something else?
Another option is to write through it, to write every ugly, horrible sentence that comes to mind and just work until I find something of value. I am a firm believer that every bit of writing is a necessary part of the process, and I’ve come to trust that on the other side of the “block” is something new and exciting waiting for me.
