Writers Block

I have seen many talented people give up.

I have seen many people quit.

I've done it in some areas of life and I'm sure you have too.

A few years ago I committed myself to regular blog writing and other social media.

So I post at least 14 times a week here, and between 3 and 4 times a day on my Collective Wisdom blog. These are relatively painless because I've developed a formula that works for me.

I also write once a week here, which is sometimes more of a challenge, because unlike the other blogs, this one contains original thoughts on advertising, marketing and sales.

Yesterday as I was cleaning out my email inbox I came accross this from the LifeDev blog:

I’ve Got Nothing To Say

Photo by ideacreamanuelaPps

I’m going to level with you: I’ve got nothing to write today. Not a single thing.

So why are you still reading? You’re probably thinking that I’m going to turn this into a lesson of some sort, but that’s just the thing: I can’t. Because I can’t think of a single thing to write, and I’ve been staring at my monitor for the last 37 minutes.

You see, creating is going to be harder some days than others. The faucet just won’t turn on, nothing will click. There will be days where the best thing you can do is sit down and stare ahead blankly without inspiration.

But the important thing is that you do it anyway, and that’s where most of us give up. There’s something powerful about going head-to-head with Lack of Motivation and seeing who’s more stubborn. Anyone who is a “professional creative” (writer, artist, etc.) that creates every day will tell you the same thing: you just have to do it.

How many days did Michelangelo show up not wanting to paint during the four years it took him to finish the Sistine Chapel? Or how many of the 2, 632 consecutive baseball games did Cal Ripken Jr. not want to play?

It’s making the commitment, sitting down, and staring at the screen. Or holding the brush. Or picking up the guitar. The act of making the effort, even when there’s nothing behind it, allows things to happen anyway.

And eventually something will happen.