There is a saying that if you choose a job you enjoy, you will never work a day in your life. This definitely holds some weight, but when it comes to the career field I hope to end up in, I have continuously experienced a frustrating barrier called writer’s block that makes my passion feel like a chore. When I experience writer’s block, it is similar to having a sneeze that keeps slipping away or a yawn that never comes. I could gain so much from simply sitting down and writing about something – anything – if only I could find something good enough to write about. Chances are, you have probably experienced some sort of writer’s block too, and know exactly the feeling I am talking about.
In my program of political science, practically all I do is read academic journals, write essays, rinse, and repeat. After all, there is no way to replicate political theory and international relations in a lab. After a while, the papers I have read get drier, and the essays I have to write get sloppier and less composed. It feels like there is only so much wordsmithing I can do before my mind runs out of words to smith. This becomes a huge dilemma when my grades are dependent on my ability to eloquently write an argument. I cannot necessarily speak for everyone, but many other students in the Arts and Science faculty are probably able to relate.
Understanding the cause for writer’s block requires a little bit of introspection. It is hard to know exactly why I have the occasional struggle, but I have noticed a connection between a lack of inspiration, feeling burnt out, and a sense of perfectionism. These feelings are hard to neglect in my program, which is centered so heavily on writing and theories. Since September I have started treating this blockage as being synonymous with being weary from work. My attempts at remedying my struggles manifest as spending time on things that make me feel less exhausted and making note of how they affect my motivation to write.
My most recent phase of writer’s block can probably be traced to the overwhelming stress of midterm and finals season. In an attempt to overcome this, I completely refrained from writing anything and instead focused on cross-stitching, a form of embroidery. While this seems counterproductive, writer’s block makes me feel as though I have squeezed every single coherent thought or opinion out of my mind. This hobby of mine is therapeutic, productive, and requires a different part of my brain to practice. While I could have made time in my day for a bit of schoolwork, taking a break from writing to engage in a calming hobby gave me something to take my mind off of the stress of presumed failure.
During the same period of mental blockage, I went out of my way to spend extra time with family and friends. While this did not require me to step back from the writing process entirely, it did bring new things to focus on to the forefront of my mind for an extended period of time. Sharing in important conversations can often be a source of inspiration. However, even if I was not having deep intellectual talks with loved ones, I was still engaging with the ideas of other people rather than just the same old thoughts bouncing around in my head.
My final and favourite way to find inspiration is by spending time outside. In October, I went on a caving trip in the Kootenays with the Varsity Outdoor Club and spent time in the great outdoors, both solo and with others. While I could have stayed home to write an upcoming essay, I feel as though spending time outdoors provides an opportunity to see the world through a fresh lens. I returned back to Kelowna feeling rejuvenated and ready to put my nose back to the grindstone.
Admittedly, none of my strategies are a fix-all solution to writer’s block, nor are they a solution to any of the problems that I connect with such barriers. They have not necessarily solved my problem, but instead provide a momentary reprieve from the overwhelming pressure of trying to make my writing perfect. Having conversations about things that are relevant to me, learning from others, and involving myself in activities that do not require me to harvest the thoughts in my head allow those thoughts to grow and develop again. In other words, taking a step back from the writing process has allowed me to focus on more things that bring me inspiration to write in the first place.
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