Plumbers do not suffer from plumber’s block
Surgeons do not suffer from surgeon’s block.
Swimmers do not suffer from swimmer’s block.
In all of their cases, even if they do not feel inspired, they will get on with their work and just do it.
So why do so many creative people feel like they are blocked and cannot produce anything creative?
The short answer is that they are not actually blocked. They could definitely produce work if they just got started.
The block comes instead from the fear that what they might come up with may not be good enough, or as good as what they have previously produced.
And in turn, this results in a fear of judgement.
But research shows that your first drafts of ideas are likely to be bad anyway. So it is more effective to just start writing, or start putting down your other ideas, knowing full well that you will then spend additional time afterwards editing and refining them.
Just get started.
Writer’s block is a choice.
A choice to procrastinate.
So instead, choose to be productive and make progress.
Nick Skillicorn
Latest posts by Nick Skillicorn (see all)
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