As someone who hasn’t gotten it together to publish a Substack piece since 2021, I feel my best writing lately has been on postcards. The ideas provoked by the image on the front mix with my feelings for the intended recipient until the terror of having to fill the blank space is replaced with a frustration that there isn’t a few more vertical millimeters to fit another line. By the end, I rarely have the space to sign off with “Love”, a ❤️ is all I can squeeze.
Hating myself. Hating the blank page and the fact that I cannot conjure three words together to form a sentence. The fear that the idea, the beauty, the glimmer I can sense will never be formed into words.
It stays beautiful if it stays in my head and glimmers. On paper, what if it doesn't glimmer anymore, so why risk it.
so I Get up. Make myself coffee. Depending on the mood fall into a bit of self loathing.
Pick something to read.
and then, like you said, ' The words always come back'.
“If I’m feeling dry, it’s usually because I haven’t read or seen anything gorgeous in a while.”
Yes to that. Reminders to see that out. I also tend to get inspired by the heartbreak of being human. It pushes me to create and process in poems. Which is to say, I write a lot of sad poems. And I’m okay with that.
When I can't write I just go on a mad steam of consciousness binge. I give myself full permission to cough any dumb little thought that pops into my head onto the page and chase it wildly, smashing one fleeting idea into the next, creating this hysteric word smoothie of randomness.
I guess this serves two purposes, one is that by allowing myself to write as bad as I want to, it gets a certain kind of rhythm going, it's not pretty, but it gets my fingers tapping on the keys and greases the wheels.
Second, by tossing the thoughts out there with no creative filter, sometimes a decent idea just manifests itself out of nowhere and manages to surprise the hell out of me. I've managed to dig genuine gems and develop entire pieces out of the silly nonsense that fell out of my brain and onto the page.
Yes to all of this! For me, exercise helps to get things flowing. A long, gruelling run or cycling with nothing to look at but a wall. Remember that scene in First Wives Club when Elise Elliott hits the treadmill and says she gets her best ideas when she works out? I always think back on that and it works!
When I feel stuck, it’s often easier to write a poem in a language I’m just starting to learn. I have such limited word choice, and still find that I can make images come together. After I do one of those, it feels much less intimidating to put together some words in a language where I have thousands more options in vocabulary 😅
Reading always helps. Poetry and beautiful prose. Currently listening to Little Weirds by Jenny Slate on audiobook and her creativity and way she describes things has unleashed lots of ideas for me.
Generative writing sessions and workshops help me. Engaging in creative play that isn't writing. Morning pages. Patience. Eating a really good meal. Community. Honesty.
I found this essay to be divinely timely. I just read the year of magical thinking and am now in the midst of a couple of Rilke collections. I am also reading Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and quite literally just digested an excerpt on the topic of igniting and maintaining a beginner’s mindset.
I would love to see more of your perspective on the beginner’s mindset. There are so many oft overlooked advantages of adopting the beginner’s identity; the beauty of (and innovation that often stems from) not knowing industry norms, feeling rightly accomplished in baby steps, and perceiving content from a fresh lens are all super helpful for me in maintaining motivation.
Yes, if I feel like I’m just not in the headspace to write I realise it’s usually because I’m exhausted and need more rest and/or I need to refill my well with reading, watching, playing with my family etc. I can’t create if I’ve got no input.
I appreciate your tips! Breaking out of the routine definitely helps. And honestly, the more we expose ourselves to new ideas and experiences, the more well-rounded we become.
As someone who hasn’t gotten it together to publish a Substack piece since 2021, I feel my best writing lately has been on postcards. The ideas provoked by the image on the front mix with my feelings for the intended recipient until the terror of having to fill the blank space is replaced with a frustration that there isn’t a few more vertical millimeters to fit another line. By the end, I rarely have the space to sign off with “Love”, a ❤️ is all I can squeeze.
Hating myself. Hating the blank page and the fact that I cannot conjure three words together to form a sentence. The fear that the idea, the beauty, the glimmer I can sense will never be formed into words.
It stays beautiful if it stays in my head and glimmers. On paper, what if it doesn't glimmer anymore, so why risk it.
so I Get up. Make myself coffee. Depending on the mood fall into a bit of self loathing.
Pick something to read.
and then, like you said, ' The words always come back'.
And hey,
they glimmer.
“If I’m feeling dry, it’s usually because I haven’t read or seen anything gorgeous in a while.”
Yes to that. Reminders to see that out. I also tend to get inspired by the heartbreak of being human. It pushes me to create and process in poems. Which is to say, I write a lot of sad poems. And I’m okay with that.
When I can't write I just go on a mad steam of consciousness binge. I give myself full permission to cough any dumb little thought that pops into my head onto the page and chase it wildly, smashing one fleeting idea into the next, creating this hysteric word smoothie of randomness.
I guess this serves two purposes, one is that by allowing myself to write as bad as I want to, it gets a certain kind of rhythm going, it's not pretty, but it gets my fingers tapping on the keys and greases the wheels.
Second, by tossing the thoughts out there with no creative filter, sometimes a decent idea just manifests itself out of nowhere and manages to surprise the hell out of me. I've managed to dig genuine gems and develop entire pieces out of the silly nonsense that fell out of my brain and onto the page.
Yes to all of this! For me, exercise helps to get things flowing. A long, gruelling run or cycling with nothing to look at but a wall. Remember that scene in First Wives Club when Elise Elliott hits the treadmill and says she gets her best ideas when she works out? I always think back on that and it works!
When I feel stuck, it’s often easier to write a poem in a language I’m just starting to learn. I have such limited word choice, and still find that I can make images come together. After I do one of those, it feels much less intimidating to put together some words in a language where I have thousands more options in vocabulary 😅
Reading always helps. Poetry and beautiful prose. Currently listening to Little Weirds by Jenny Slate on audiobook and her creativity and way she describes things has unleashed lots of ideas for me.
I absolutely loved Past Lives.
Generative writing sessions and workshops help me. Engaging in creative play that isn't writing. Morning pages. Patience. Eating a really good meal. Community. Honesty.
I found this essay to be divinely timely. I just read the year of magical thinking and am now in the midst of a couple of Rilke collections. I am also reading Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act and quite literally just digested an excerpt on the topic of igniting and maintaining a beginner’s mindset.
I would love to see more of your perspective on the beginner’s mindset. There are so many oft overlooked advantages of adopting the beginner’s identity; the beauty of (and innovation that often stems from) not knowing industry norms, feeling rightly accomplished in baby steps, and perceiving content from a fresh lens are all super helpful for me in maintaining motivation.
Thank you so, so much for this. I needed it desperately.
Yes, if I feel like I’m just not in the headspace to write I realise it’s usually because I’m exhausted and need more rest and/or I need to refill my well with reading, watching, playing with my family etc. I can’t create if I’ve got no input.
Oh my gosh, the advice on how to get an obsession if you don’t have one is absolute gold. Love this piece in its entirety!
These tips are helpful and refreshing. Definitely need to step out of my comfort zone more. This couldn't have been posted at a better time.
Honored to be mentioned here 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
I appreciate your tips! Breaking out of the routine definitely helps. And honestly, the more we expose ourselves to new ideas and experiences, the more well-rounded we become.
This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you so much, Joy <3