Not sure how your writing is going at the mo.
Are you forging on through the weirdness of 2020 like a trooper or are you putting down your pen until the calendar announces that it’s 2021?
I’m sitting somewhere between the two…
Tricky times to be sure. Most creative people I know are challenged by a distinct lack of motivation. But if you’re experiencing a “flat” period in your writing – there’s no need to worry or beat yourself up.
Here are my top tips to help you use this time productively and get your creative mojo back.
1. Assess whether this is now “the new normal” or just a creative “dip”
Before you start worrying that you’ve lost your creative mojo objectively assess the situation. You’ll probably discover that your lack of motivation has a lot to do with the current state of the world and what’s going on in your personal situation.
Or you might discover there’s a pattern to your creative energy – and that you always “dip” at certain times of the year. Or, surprise, your creative flow dries up like week old bread when you’re stressed.
As always – it is super useful to step back and look at the big picture before you start beating yourself up for not being as productive as you’d like.
2. Take a Reality Check
Are your expectations aligned with reality? Are your expectations just too high at the moment? As writers (and humans) we’re always telling ourselves where we should be and what we should’ve achieved by some arbitrary date.
We all do it but this self-criticism is really counter-productive. Given this year is as crappy as it is – how about cutting yourself some slack and giving yourself a do-able goal for the rest of 2020?
3. Take 5 Minutes to Focus on What You HAVE Done
When you’re feeling creatively blah it’s too easy to only see the failures and disappointments – which lead to making all sorts of negative assumptions about yourself.
So stop doing that and start focusing on what you HAVE done. Grab a pen and paper and start writing that list!
Even if you didn’t finish what you wanted to finish – I bet you’ve made some forward momentum this year. What have you learnt? What have you improved on? What have you mastered? What knowledge have you gleaned about yourself as a writer? What ideas have you had that you really love?
4. Remember How Lucky We Are
It is so great to be living in a country and situation where we have the time and opportunity to write. Plenty of people in the world just don’t have that luxury.
And we get to create things with words – how joyous is that?!
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