Calling it “writers block” makes it sound like a privileged, private club for writers who have their own exclusive excuse to not do their work—like a secret handshake. Doesn’t it sound so very narcissistic? “I am a writer, therefore I suffer from a recurring disease called writer’s block. It’s very painful and there really is no cure…sorry, you wouldn’t understand.” It’s a statement told by a victim, filled with ego and loaded with excuses! Truth is, if there is such a thing as writers block, then it should be called “Creative Block” because you can’t exclude musicians, songwriters, painters, sculptors, designers and entrepreneurs.
In my second book, Mastering Showbiz, I wrote, “Creative block is simply the head interfering in what the heart wants to say. It’s an internal dilemma caused by either allowing yourself to be distracted, giving way to resistance or succumbing to procrastination.”
Any way you look at it, the enemy is our relentless chattering mind, which constantly questions and doubts every step we take, every thought we think and every choice we make, to the point of creative exhaustion. I recently got a tweet from the recording artist Pink, who asked if there was a remedy for writers block. The truth is, the only remedy that has ever worked for me is meditation. I take 30 minutes (almost) every day to calm down the bully between my ears—I’ve been doing it for over 25 years. I’ve learned that when my mind continues to aimlessly chatter away, my creative muse can’t possibly break thru the sticky silly putty of all my thoughts. So when it all starts to get to the point where my crazy thoughts are getting in the way of my creative projects, I have to apply a little self-discipline—so I meditate. Even when the beast within insists I’m wasting my time, I meditate anyway. If you’re interested, check out my 1-minute blog “Why I Meditate.” That said, when the bully in your brain is on the warpath, just surrender. To the degree you simply allow your persistent thoughts to be, to that degree they will eventually give way to inspiration, intuition and wisdom.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, an artist, a musician or an entrepreneur; you’re still a creative professional. And pros always know the exact, precise spot where the rubber meets the road. Why? Because they take that rough bumpy ride down resistance highway every day.