The #1 Enemy of Creative Types (And How to Avoid It)

I once had a student that would not put pen to paper. They were paralyzed. They had a five page paper due in two days and they had not written one word.

"What do you think is the problem?" I asked. 

"I have writer's block," she answered. 

"What do you mean by 'writer's block?'" I asked. 

"My mind is a complete blank. I literally can think of nothing to write about. I don't even want to think about this paper anymore because when I do, I just feel drained. This assignment is depressing me and I haven't even started it."

My student wasn't experiencing writer's block. She was experiencing something even more sinister.

Apathy.

But wait, I hear you say, how can one be said to be apathetic if there's evidence of trying?

The answer is that if you, as a writer, go chasing after topics and ideas about which you are not thoroughly interested, sooner or later, you may find yourself unmotivated and indifferent about your writing practice.

From Art Made From Books. Find it on Amazon.

My student's error occurred when she felt she had to pursue a topic that was completely out of her line of passion. She talked to me at length about what she has tried writing about and, from the attitude she displayed in listing these topics, even I was beginning to feel depressed about the assignment.

"Why are you taking this course?" I asked. 

"Because I'm really interested in parts of African cultures," she replied. 

"What parts?" 

"No, it's really off-topic," she replied.

The course I was teaching focused on peacemaking and conflict mitigation in the Sub-Saharan region of the world.

"Just tell me what it is about African cultures that made you enroll in the class." 

"The music," she answered.

Ah ha! As is sometimes the case, this student had a tangential interest in the course and was now struggling to situate her interests with the topic.

Without hesitation, I seized the moment.

"How do musical traditions in Sub-Saharan African countries contribute to peacemaking and conflict mitigation?"

You should have seen my student's eyes light up. It was as if a light had been switched on.

Long story short, the student left my office in a hurry and, on Friday morning (with a smile on her face), she proudly presented a very well-written and interesting paper on the topic I had suggested in our meeting.

What is irritating about writer's block is not that we can't seem to think of anything to write. The problem is that we have plenty to write about, but can't seem to capture the words for the thoughts zipping through our heads.

The lesson here is that, if creativity is part of our living, part of what we are expected to do as a function of our employment, we can sometimes get caught up in the actual assignments and lose sight of our passions. Sure, we all have to engage in topics that are not directly in our line of passion, but as creative people, we owe it to ourselves and our audience to find ways to incorporate our passions in everything we do. 

So the next time you feel yourself begin to panic or lose interest in an assignment, re-evaluate how you approach your task. Recall those topics and ideas about which you are really passionate, and then ask yourself how you can incorporate them into the work you must do. You, and your audience, will benefit from this practice.

Happy writing!