Hey, I’m working on it!
No, seriously, I am.
Recently, I read the simplest and most straight-forward cure for writer’s block in a post on Seth Godin’s blog titled Talker’s Block. In a nutshell, he says that the cure for writer’s block is to write. To write every day. To write badly. To write when we don’t feel like it. Essentially, to start writing and keep writing even when things aren’t going the way we’d like, even if we don’t write much, just keep writing.
In part, that’s what’s driving this post. I used to describe myself as a writer, but since I haven’t been writing, I don’t think that’s fair to me or anyone else. So, I’ve stopped. But, I have made a commitment to writing again. Not only to writing, but to creating in general. I think this principle of constantly creating no matter what is the cure to every creative block I’ve ever had, heard about, or been afraid of having. Certainly, in the past two days, between this site and another, I’ve written more words than I have in the past two months, or more! So, to that degree, at least, the plan is working!!
Now, I have yet to apply this to photography, but I’m confident it will work, too.  Certainly, I can feel a certain momentum to my writing. When I first got my camera, I had that same push to photograph everything, all the time. Now, that’s died off a bit, especially as I start to think more critically about my photography and be more concerned with quality. Or, as an artist friend of mine always accuses me, of being afraid that I’m not doing it “right”, whatever self-limiting concept I’ve developed about what “right” is.
I think he’s basically correct. My lack of creation and output is more about fear than about a real blockage of creativity. Though, I do have to admit, I’ve been getting a lot of reading and cleaning done instead of anything creative that I say I want to do!
So, yeah, my somewhat early “New Year’s Resolution” is to indulge in less bullshit and more creative output.
We’ll see how long I can maintain that attitude!
