Dear Chase,
I have been struggling lately. And I'm not afraid to share that with you. Because I know that it stays between just you and I.
I don't know why, but I've been completely dry for ideas lately. I'm just empty.
I knew I had to write something for you, and I literally sat for an hour with nothing. That's rare. Usually, I have ideas for days.
So, I decided to write some advice for myself.
This is based on a conversation that I had with a couple of my students who have ALSO been experiencing burnout, so I know that this will apply across the board. Not just to me.
Writer's block is usually paired with some level of burnout, so this advice will apply to both.
When you're burnt out, you get writer's block. When you get writer's block, you wanna jump off a bridge.
So here it is.
How to get rid of writer's block.
For GOOD.
- Give yourself some "me time".
This is more of a preventative measure.
If you're not currently in a state of writer's block, you're lucky.
Before it happens, which it probably will, you have to spend a couple hours with literally no inputs.
Go for a walk or a drive. No music, no podcasts, no friends.
In fact, leave your phone at home.
You need to let your brain breathe sometimes.
One of the things that makes you creative is a LOT of inputs from random sources. But if you're overloaded, your brain won't know what to do with any of it.
Too much of anything is a bad thing.
I use my Sunday morning to do basically nothing. I don't see people. I chill by myself with no inputs so I can refresh a little bit.
Listen to your body and your brain. Don't overdraw yourself.
- Use swipe files.
Swipe files aren't just whatever you see on Twitter or on swiped.co.
It can be anything.
For example, I have to write a bunch of emails for this massive client. I'm kinda putting it off.
All I need to do is find similar companies to them, get in the flow, and find a bunch of emails that I can use as inspo.
I only usually need to read 1 email, or 1 sentence from 1 email, to give myself enough to go off.
You literally just need one spark to get the engine running again.
- Just start writing nonsense.
A lot of times, I'll just start writing an email with no idea of where I'm going with it.
It makes zero sense.
I'll start writing about Spongebob or some weird fact about dogs.
But the thing about writer's block is that you're in a state of inertia.
A motionless object stays motionless.
You need to get the ball rolling before you can focus and write some stuff that actually means something.
Speak gibberish at the top of the page, and by the time you get to the 10th line, you'll have a rough idea.
Just get your fingers moving.
It helps a ton.
It's important to note that having writer's block does not mean you're a bad writer.
You're just mentally constipated. And everyone knows what that feels like.
Give yourself a reset every week or so. You'll have endless ideas, and you'll produce better content than you ever have.
Yours truly,
Alex
Sent from my Threads Account
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