Whenever I sit down and tell myself I need to write, the struggle is real. An empty page. A look around the room. Picking your phone to check if there's something in there. Distractions? Excuses? Whatever they are, I know that most people face these issues.
What should I write about? Will anyone bother reading it? Perhaps this wasn't a good idea.
You close the browser and decide to come back tomorrow.
Anxiety takes over and makes you wonder whether you are cut out to be a writer. And even when you do come up with something, who knows how your post will be received? Will you get any responses? Or will it be totally ignored?
This kind of mentality forces us to kill our ideas without the ability to ever resurrect them. But as a writer, you have to produce something. Otherwise, you will end up giving up on your dream.
So what should one do when uncreativeness wreaks havoc?
I like to look for inspiration everywhere. It could be a conversation with a stranger, a quote you read, a one-liner from your favorite TV show, lyrics of a song, a picture or fan art. The thing is, you never know when a brilliant idea is going to present itself.
And one should pursue it no matter what. Something simple has a potential to be your Opus Magnum. However, like pretty much any other feeling, this one also does not last forever. You should keep an idea file or a notebook. Having your thoughts written down is a good way to have something you can look at when the times are desperate. Though ideally, you want to strike the iron while it's hot.
Even when I write this post, there is a little monkey on my back, putting thoughts into my mind. It's making me question whether I should press post. But you know what? This monkey can go to hell. I will publish it even if nobody will respond to it. Because I want to pursue a career in writing.
Do you have a way to reduce the struggle and make the Muse a frequent visitor? If so, share it.
