Last Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia I sat down to work in the Regus Business Lounge (free access with my Amex Platinum card) and nothing came out.
Nothing.
I can’t recall the last time I had writer’s block. Usually I can at least pump out useless drivel.
But my mind was blank and I couldn’t come up with anything.
Coming from the guy who wrote this article, it was pretty sad. :)
Most tips for curing writer’s block state to take notes, read/research your topic, and just plain force it.
I forced it, and when nothing happened it was time for a radical change.
I decided to procrastinate.
It’s what a lot of us do best, after all. :)
How I Killed Writer’s Block With Procrastination
Following is the exact series of steps that lead to a cure for my writer’s block. Can you guess what the secret cure was before I give it away at the end?
1) I missed lunch with friends because it was pouring rain and I didn’t want my laptop to get ruined.
I was already frustrated due to the writer’s block, and this just increased that frustration.
2) So I went to the Gallery of Modern Art and stared at abstract paintings for an hour.
Ahh, immediate happiness.
3) The rain died down so I walked to my CouchSurfing host’s place.
It was a 30 minute walk and it started raining again 10 minutes in. I got pretty soaked, but all I could do was laugh at that point.
4) Went to an old school guitar store to play refurbished guitars from yesteryear.
I love playing guitar and I especially love small, old school, guitar shops.
1930s uke?! Don’t mind if I do. Weird no-name guitar with a triangle neck? Yes, please.
5) Cooked dinner for a household of 5 (my CouchSurfing host’s place).
I love making dinner, especially when it’s my World Famous 4 Bean, Soy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan Chili.
6) Went to see an old Australian “horror” movie at the Gallery of Modern Art called Turkey Shoot. (Not about shooting turkeys.)
Nothing like a good laugh to make you feel amazing.
7) Hung out at a bar and tried Ginger Beer for the first time.
I don’t drink soft drinks and I’d been practicing Ocsober (no alcohol in October), but I’d never heard of Ginger Beer (it’s a non-alcoholic soft drink) so I decided to try it. (It’s really popular in Australia.)
Let me tell you, it was outstanding. I love ginger and this stuff was very gingery. (Is that a word?) I’ll probably never drink another one, but it was awesome none-the-less.
You can see I’m an outstanding procrastinator. By this time it was after 11pm.
I hadn’t touched my laptop in 12 hours!
When we got back home I decided to fire up my computer and I was “magically” inspired to write. So inspired that I wrote 2 articles (both guest posts for other blogs) within 90 minutes. My goal was only to write 1 article, but everything was flowing.
Why Did Procrastination Cure My Writer’s Block?
Sometimes, just sometimes, the best way to deal with writer’s block is to do anything but write.
The key, however, is to do things that are fun and inspiring. I love modern art, playing guitar, cooking, old horror movies, and trying new things. I jam packed all of that into my day.
How do you cure writer’s block?
Or any mental block for that matter. Please share it in the comments.