We’ve all heard of Writer’s Block.
Some will tell you it is very real and can be crippling. Others will tell you it’s all in your head. Both of these are probably true.
Whether it’s real or all in my head, I think I’ve been struggling for a while with not just Writer’s Block, but a related, and equally-debilitating condition: Life Block.
The temporary pandemic-induced life setbacks have, over time, degraded my creativity, motivation, passion, life. I am left feeling like, if I ever want to be able to write again, I need to deal with this Life Block first.
So, can Life Block be treated the same way as Writer’s Block? I’m not sure. Let’s ask Siri.
Me: “Hey Siri, how can I cure writer’s block?”
Siri: “Okay, here’s what I’ve found”:
Quotes about Writer’s/Life Block
(replacing “Writer’s Block” with “Life Block”, changed words bolded):
“Life block is not the problem. The problem is not living.”
Unknown
“You only fail if you stop living.“
Ray Bradbury
“Cure for life block: blow something up
Scott Westerfeld(in the story).“
…Well, that went reasonably well, especially the “blow something up” part. Siri you know me.
However, while I definitely do want to blow some things up, I also want to turn to some other experts.
In Unstuck, Jane Anne Staw’s guide to working through writer’s block, she writes:
“When you repair your relationship with writing, your life begins to flow again.”
One of my writing/life heroes, Anne Lamott, says something similar:
“Writing can… get you to start paying attention, can help you soften, can wake you up.”
So maybe I am going at this backwards. I’ve been trying to figure out how to figure my life out in order to be able to write again. But maybe I need to figure my writing out in order to be able to live again.
That, or blow something up.
Breaking Moulds 