What Does It Mean to Return to the Page, Again and Again

“Over and over. Again and again.”

Those are a few words taken from my award-winning children’s book, Silisia Dances Toward Her Dream.

Creativity is increased by doing more of it. Writing more generates more ideas, which are the building blocks of new poems, short stories, and novels.

When your muse is whispering in your ear, and your critic is busy taking a nap, it’s fun, exhilarating, and energizing. The words flow from your brain, through your pencil, and onto the page. Your fingers are tapping the keyboard fast and furiously.

But what happens when you are stuck?

What about when you can’t even get yourself to pick up the paper and pencil, much less sit down in the chair?

When you’ve tried all the techniques that you’ve read about and still you do not take the next step?

Reading. Lots.

I read a lot because it takes me to a new world when I read fiction, or to a solution when reading non-fiction.

However, finding information on how to determine why you’re stuck is difficult. Moreso for how to move from inaction to action.

Oh, I know about the Pomodoro technique, the sit-in-your-chair-and-don’t-get-up technique, and many more. A list as long as my arm of techniques exists, each guaranteeing results.

It stands to reason that every time you act, you’ll get nearer to your goals.

I’ve used one or more of the many techniques to achieve goals such as publishing books.

But those techniques do not work when stuck. At least not for me.

How to Stay Inspired and Keep Creating

It’s a mindset. There’s abundant information about it.

Despite pulling out that list so often that its edges are grimy, I still do not take action. I asked myself, why not?

I did more thinking, researched dozens of articles on interiority, and continued to ponder my inaction.

What I found is that there’s a paucity of information and ideas on how to get yourself out of ‘stuck’ mode and not chastise yourself for your inaction.

I meant to write a blog post in January, but ended up brainstorming for current and future writing projects. It still didn’t get me any closer to writing this journal post.

Now it’s February.

What No One Tells You

After much effort and applying different strategies, I remained as stuck as a truck on the back forty.

I visualized having a blog post done and my newsletter sent out.

Whenever my muse whispered, I listened and wrote copious notes or dictated ideas to my computer. Still, I was no closer to starting, much less finishing.

I was stuck.

Admonitions to myself such as, ‘Figure out why you’re stuck’ got me no closer to a solution.

No amount of timers, charts, and potent advice in the world works until you figure out why you’re stuck.

A strategy to dig yourself out.

What’s missing is a strategy for listening to yourself when you tell yourself stuff as you dream about doing the thing you’re avoiding. That is the real roadblock.

Yes! Now we’re talking. These are big clues—when you’re honest with yourself.

A solution

Then, I uncovered the solution. It happened in the kitchen.

When I go to bake a cake or cookies, I don’t pull out the onions and ground beef. Similarly, when I’m going to make chili, I don’t pull out the flour and sugar.

I never worry whether it will turn out because I’m a skilled cook and home baker. It comes second nature to me. I don’t even remember learning how to make cookies. Likely, I was still in my highchair when I learned to roll the cookie dough into little balls.

The point I’m making is that I see myself successfully completing the steps needed to bake or cook something.

I envision myself undertaking the steps it takes to go from flour and sugar to cookies or serving steaming chili in gigantic bowls.

I know what to do and I’m comfortable and confident taking those steps.

That’s one step I was missing for writing blogs and journal posts.

Envisioning daily success

Using my mind’s eye to see myself taking the daily steps necessary to be a successful blogger was what I was missing.

So I changed that.

A successful blogger, I envision myself sitting at the computer. Green painter’s tape holds my authorship chart to the wall below the bookshelves in front of me. I read the sayings I have stuck to my monitor. The keys under my fingers make a rhythmic clicking sound. Sunshine spills through the east window into my home office.

But that alone didn’t keep me in the chair to transform the many ideas into a finished journal post.

Contemplation to action

Here’s how I took myself from contemplation and knowing to action.

To prime my creative self, I asked then listened intently for the answer. It’s imperative to note that answer.

More importantly, pay attention to how quickly the mind clangs shut, like a steel trap. Whenever there is zero time between the question and answer, I repeat the first two words of the question, “What if…”

The question is: what if you wrote the blog post?  

A short list of possible replies:

•      Finally! It took you long enough.

•     What if there’s a mistake in it?

•     It doesn’t matter because I don’t know what to write anyway.

•    There must be something wrong because it takes me so long!

The wrong measuring cup

Then it hit me.

I was using the wrong measuring cup!

The ease with which I cook and bake is second nature.

That second nature came from baking tens of thousands of cookies, and thousands of meals.

I’m nowhere close to dozens of blog posts. I’m still in the high chair when it comes to writing these journal posts.

An additional strategy that proved beneficial for me. It may help you too.

This strategy is something I learned from Lorraine Richmond, a skilled leadership coach.

• Think of a time when you acted, and it turned out well.

  • Imagine it in great detail: the steps you took, what you saw, where you were, and how you felt when doing it and completing it. Hold that image and feeling.

• Now, without putting down that successful feeling, think about what you’re doing now to avoid the task you’re not doing.

  •   Imagine chastising yourself (I know, I know, just work with me for a bit longer).

• Listen closely to what you’re telling yourself in terms of why you cannot do what you want to do.

  • Hold that thought, those images, and that feeling. Yes, I know; it’s uncomfortable.

• Last step: introduce your successful self to your stuck self.

  • No judgement or awe from either side allowed. Observe, listen, and let both parts fold together. 

  •   Invent a word that encompasses both, write it out, and post it somewhere visible as a reminder of how the two folded together.

Let me know what happens. Did this technique work for you?

Write me a note in the comments below.

I read every one.