So as some of you may have noticed I did not publish a single post last week. I would like to first apologize to those of you that read my blog regularly, and second, I would like to explain myself (and of course make a social tie in somewhere).
Everyday last week, after I was finished with classes for the day, I sat down at my computer and opened up blogger. I selected new post and proceeded to stare at a blank screen waiting for the words to flow. I had nothing. Finally in the middle of the week I thought of a great blog idea. It was one I had been thinking of for awhile and really wanted to write. So I did. I pumped out this long entry with lots of feeling and truth and when I was done, I wasn't pleased. I felt that I was not doing the post justice, nor did I feel like it was the appropriate time to publish it.
I realized that the post I had just written would be the last one I published for the year. It needed to be great and something worth reading. It wasn't any of the above. So it sits in my drafts folder just waiting for the day I decide to let it be seen. However, this still left me with no words of wisdom, no witty observations, and no stories to tell. Was I out of material? Was I really that boring? How could I have nothing to say?
These feelings of self doubt and confusion were not comforting ones. Never before throughout this process had I struggled so hard to come up with a blog idea. I usually had something to say even if the post wasn't my favorite, and never had I written an entire post and decided against publishing it even with the knowledge that I would not be receiving credit for the week.
Last week I had a block, and after some reflection I realized what it was. Last week was a very busy and stressful week. I realized that there was no way that I could give advice or analyze what was happening in others people's lives when I had so much going on in my own. All I could think about was stuff that strictly pertained to me, which blocked the creativity and my ability to perceive other people.
I feel ya! Last week I had an hour between classes and thought that that time would be well used writing a blog. I sat there for about half an hour thinking of topics. I decided that I was just wasting time so I wrote something. Anything. I got a paragraph in and something in that paragraph triggered a memory of something else to write about. Maybe when you’re struggling for ideas, just write anyway, and something might come to you. Then again, that might not work. But it has helped me. I usually write a post and a half. I get halfway through a post and then delete it all and start over with a completely different topic. My post yesterday evolved from the economy to a choose-your-own-adventure lol!
ReplyDeleteThat’s alright, everyone has a time where self criticism causes one to not show their work because they feel it is not good enough. When is most cases its pretty good. I hear you on the writers block. As the semester creeps to an end, topics become more and more scarce. This week is my writers block week. I have had two days where I sat down and tried to write a blog entry, but nothing would flow. Topics weren’t writable (in my opinion) that I had found, I thought I would never get it done. Finally, I found one, but that means I still have one more to go. Good luck on the topics though, hopefully it was temporary block!
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