Hi Intellectual Nomads!
What do you do when you’re stuck?
banished to desert,
her whispered curses carried
home on wind killed him
I’ve never had a shortage of ideas. Writing block has never been a creative struggle for me. However, I regularly find myself doubting the creative direction I’m headed in.
I sometimes feel like a ping-pong ball being batted around by two questions:
What kind of work do I want to make?
What kind of stuff will people want to pay for?
Having been making and selling stuff online for ten years now, I’ve noticed some patterns. I usually start feeling lost like this when I finish a big project, such as publishing a collection of haiku comics.
I also now know how to find my way out of the creative desert.
When I feel stuck, I start experimenting. I try different genres, techniques, and mediums. I also listen to more music, watch more TV, and read more books.
However, the most important thing I do to get unstuck is to give myself the freedom to intellectually wander. I relax and see where my curiosity leads me. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that, eventually, I will find my way to the right thing.
How about you? What works for you when you’re stuck?
Be the weird your want to see in the world!
Cheers,
Jason
When I’m stressed or burnt out, I set my writing aside and focus on other interests. I listen to music (always looking for new bands/artists), go outside, exercise, read...and when my mind is right, I’m able to come back to the writing.
It's a kind of post partum depression when we creatives complete a project.
Having some dark chocolate helps me, hiking outside, getting together with friends for a chat.
I'm now finding that visiting the various ancient peoples sites here in AZ rejuvenates me.