Life Blocked5 min read

The blinking cursor on a blank, untitled document used to make my pulse rise in sync with my dropping spirits. Blink. My fingers resting on the keyboard, pointers rubbing the ridges on the “F” and “J” keys, I’d search for the words my heart attempted to transmit to my brain. Blink. Unwritten ideas haunted me like a ghost— transparent, elusive, a shell of something vibrant and alive. Blink. A single sentence erased with an ease twice as strong as the strain it took to pen it. Blink.

Writer’s Block is an experience not at all unique to the craft. We’ve all encountered some sort of block. Our passions stopped, frozen by fear or fleeting motivation. The agonizing desire for growth, movement, release, or results stunted by an inability to get started. I suppose “Writer’s Block” goes by different names for different people, each with its own version of the blinking cursor. Artist’s Block. Leader’s Block. Musician’s Block. Inventor’s Block. But if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, we should just call it what it really is— Life Block.

It isn’t that we lack ideas, we just can’t access them. We’re in our own way. Maybe we’re scared that what we want to say isn’t worth sharing. Maybe we’re terrified to uncover the truth we’ve been hiding from ourselves. Maybe we’re afraid of being vulnerable. Maybe we lack the energy to push through. Maybe we are embarrassed to get it wrong. The reasons are likely as vast and distinct as the people struggling with it.

I lived in perpetual Writer’s Block for years. If someone asked me why I didn’t write, I’d claim it was because I didn’t want to. I didn’t know I was lying to them because I didn’t know I was lying to myself. I was blocked from writing because I was blocked in life. I wasn’t courageous enough to admit that I wanted to be a writer. I was scared I’d be bad at it and letting people know I wanted to do it would open me up for criticism I am unequipped to handle. Writing involves a bunch of self-reflection. Honesty and vulnerability requires energy and effort. I wasn’t ready to face it.

Once I admitted to myself, and others I trust, that I wanted to write, the words began to find their way back to me. Slowly at first, and then like a flood. Instead of watching the blinking cursor waiting for an idea to spark, I watched it deciding which idea to run with. I stopped expecting every word to be revolutionary and thanked them for coming at all. Releasing myself from the expectation that everything I write has to be profound and worth sharing, I began to write because I enjoyed it, because it is the release my heart thirsts for.

That’s simplifying the process. It wasn’t as easy as just saying, “I want to be a writer!” and then POOF words appeared on my laptop screen. It still requires effort and wrestling with myself and my own laziness. The confession didn’t do the work for me, but it began to roll away the boulder blocking the words from coming.

When I find myself stuck now– in my writing, in my parenting, in my leading, or in my life, I have a few tricks that help the ideas to begin flowing again.

First, I ask myself if there’s something I’m afraid to admit to myself. Am I intimidated by the emotional toll it might take on me? Do I need to ask for help? Does it seem too hard? Is it overwhelming? I try to determine what I need or want and then focus on the next step instead of trying to tackle the entire thing at once.

Second, I either change my scenery or get my blood flowing. Sometimes I just need to get out of the environment I’ve been in while struggling. It can be as simple as moving from the living room to my patio, and other times I end up at a coffee shop. Usually I just need to give it a break and move my body— a quick walk around the block, doing the dishes, making dinner, or going to the gym. I’ve found that making my physical body work typically helps my mind work too.

Third, I take a look at what I’ve been consuming. Have I been numbing myself with TV or social media? Or have I been engaging in conversations, listening to podcasts, reading good books? What I input is what I’ll output (At least I’ve read that on a few motivational posters). Rest is good. Actually, rest is necessary- it could be its own point entirely. But, to be real with you, I’m usually just trying to escape. Making sure I feed myself plenty of hearty, thought-provoking ideas helps me recognize some of my own.

Are you stuck? What kind of “block” do you deal with? What helps you move the blinking cursor forward?

You have something inside of you you need to share with the world and with yourself. Getting out of Life Block is hard work, but it’s worth it. And so are you!