As years of work in a creative field go by, writer’s block becomes more and more frequent. At least that is what is happening to me. Passion and passive recovery are no longer enough, it is time to seek recovery in an active way.
I am preparing my first solo project, a larp far from the support from a colleague of equal responsibility, and that makes me feel as if I was writing from a deserted island.
I know there were great figures like Lope de Vega or Piccaso, able to work in a tireless way without loosing motivation/inspiration, and even them I believe would have techniques to recover energy and carry on. Well, that is what I am aiming for, techniques to unlock my mind and give me back the illusion needed to be really creative and not simply mechanic.
My current techniques are:
- Sport. An hour and a half session is not really necessary, 5 minutes of intense sport is enough to free your mind and fill you up with endorphins.
- Talk with peers. Chating with creatives that face similar problems to move your thoughts around is a big help. Being part of a circle with your same artistic goals is key to success.
- Talk about literature or other creative passions of yours, but avoid always the task at hand.
- Talk with a non-usual/stranger. People we do not talk frequently can give us a completely different approach or show us something new/obvious we did not knew.
- Meditation. No explanation needed.
- Live out of the ordinary. Something that breaks your daily life, a larp, a trip, a caprice, etc.
- Fun. Not something that just distracts you, but fun in such intense manner that takes you away completely.
- Train. Write something independent to your current work, attend a course, write a random story, speedwriting, etc.
- Small relaxing activities. Shower, bath, nap, cook, etc.
- Change music. Look for a different style to get a different inspiration.
- Write in non-usual/disconnected places. Metro, park, stair in ruins in a hidden canal…
- Change working time. Late night, early morning, etc.
- Consume. Intellectual related activities (attending larps, reading, etc.) in the right measure can provide energy. Its excess can devour the task at hand or even stop temporarily the will to create.
- Block the noise. This is not only required for the writers block, but also for a healthy life. Those negative elements hinder you and fill your mind with unnecessary and quite often harmful thoughts (fb I am looking at you)
- Absolute absence. Get away from the task at hand completely, block it out of your mind. This is a last resort.
And now the question is, do you have other techniques to recommend me?
