Document Don’t Create: Turning Your Writing Block into a Creative Asset
Hey coach!
I’m going to be real with you…
Writing has felt like treacle recently!
I would say I’ve had writer’s block, but Sir Terry Pratchett, says,
There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write.
Whatever you want to call it…
Have you experienced it?
I’m sure I’m not alone!
It’s an incredibly frustrating feeling.
But this morning I woke up and realised why…
I haven’t been listening to my own advice.
It’s the funny thing about coaching… it’s sometimes far easier helping others than it is ourselves!
Queue imposter syndrome and the thought of,
Who am I to help people with this when I haven’t got it completely nailed?
I have that thought too.
You aren’t alone!
In fact, I hear it on almost every coaching call!
But here’s the thing…
The things we struggle with are often the things we have passion for.
Our struggles become our passions. Our struggles become our gifts. Our struggles become our stories.
And if we didn’t have these struggles, we could not relate to our audience. Knowing our audience is how we empathise.
And empathy is marketing.
To understand your audience is at the heart of marketing and to make your feel understood is at the heart of persuasion.
This is why the marketing legend Gary Vee, says,
Document don’t create.
Something I remembered this morning…
So here I am documenting my recent block of writing (does that work Sir Terry?)
And I wanted to write myself a little advice and remind myself what has helped me in the past when I experienced the same blocks.
I hope some of it may be of use to you too…
So here goes…
1. Sit down and write at the same time every week.
2. Trust your systems.
The more you commit to your systems, routine and rituals the more freedom you have within that structure to express yourself.
(Side note — this is why I think I have struggled with creativity recently… I’ve been testing having one week every 4 weeks to create. It hasn’t been working. Back to what I know works. Writing my newsletter at the same time every week — without fail. Whilst remaining open to follow moments of inspiration when lightning strikes.)
3. Commit your writing schedule to an audience.
It will create necessity. And as the quote goes,
Necessity is the mother of all invention.
So here goes… you’ll be getting a weekly newsletter from me every Wednesday! And I respect your time, so I also promise you that it will be thought out and researched.
This commitment will also create a Tetris Effect.
The effect that happens when you play Tetris and start seeing Tetris shapes everywhere you look.
But this time, when you commit to writing a weekly newsletter, you will start to seeing ideas everywhere.
4. Always be collecting ideas.
Writing is a game of mindfulness, capturing ideas and testing them out. The world is always showing you the way.
When you sit down to write, water these ideas. See which idea resonates the most, and write about it.
5. If lightning doesn’t strike at that moment. Write anyway.
As Rick Rubin says in his new book, The Creative Act: A New Way Of Being,
Some storm chasers believe that inspiration precedes creation. This is not always the case. Working without lightning bolts is simply working. Like carpenters, we show up each day and do our job. Sculptors knead clay, sweep the studio floor, and lock up for the night. Graphic designers sit at their workstations, select images, choose fonts, create layouts, and hit save.
Artists are ultimately craftspeople. Sometimes our ideas come through bolts of lightning. Other times only through effort, experiment, and craft.
6. Turn pro.
As Stephen King says,
Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
Sit down and work.
It can be that simple. Just write.
With every newsletter. With every bit of content you gain experience, you improve your craft and inch closer to who you are.
7. Your goal isn’t perfection, your goal is to share who you are and how you see the world.
8. Ship it and let it go.
All that matters is that you are doing your best, you’re growing, you honing your skills and you’re here.
The outcome of your work is out of your control.
Trust your fingers. Even when the words flow like treacle.
You will ultimately get to something. It may not be what you’ve chosen in advance.
It may be more interesting. It may be less. But who are you to say.
Ship it. Let go. And move on to your next work.
Every piece of content is a step towards greatness.
9. Get over yourself.
No one is thinking about you as much as you.
And it’s not about you anyway. It’s far bigger than you.
Creating is connecting to source. It’s channelling. Which can’t happen when you’re overthinking. It cant happen when you’re judging your work. It can’t happen when you’re worried about what people may think of you.
Quit it.
Trust, allow and let go.
This isn’t about you. It’s about them.
10 Be a scientist, not a researcher.
As a scientist, experiment and build on results.
If you fail, you can take it personally and think of yourself as a failure. Or you can recognise you have just ruled out a way that didn’t work, bringing you closer to a solution.
Creating is a matter of experimental faith. Testing. Unattached to the outcome. Shipping. And seeing.
Fail fast. Embrace failure. It’s getting you closer!
11. Copy the work from those that inspire you as a way to find your own voice.
It’s a tried and tested way.
12. There is no right or wrong.
When you start from that position, it’s far easier to immerse yourself in the process.
And the process is fun if we allow it to be. Play for the process, not the win.
Perfectionism gets in the way of the process.
Perfectionism gets in the way of play.
But I’m interested in what you would add.
Comment below and let me know… I’d genuinely love to know!
See you next week!
Big love,
Joel
