“The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone–that is the secret invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.”
—Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American Inventor
I often hear from fellow writers how they wish they had more time to be home and write. How great it would be, they say, to take a break from all the responsibilities in their life and write. And yet, I don’t think the Coronavirus pandemic was quite the solution they were looking for.
With that in mind, I do want to take this time to send positive vibes your way. My thoughts and prayers are with you, my socially-distanced readers in quarantine. I also want to extend the same kindness to your families and friends, especially to those that are elderly, immunocompromised, or hospitalized. And even to those with immune systems of steel, I wish you great hope in resuming all your responsibilities and for peace amidst your time away from others.
Just a reminder, if you struggling with anxiety or striving to understand the situation better surrounding COVID-19, check out the CDC’s tips and data.
I do hope my article offers you some brain food or temporarily frees you from boredom. And so I continue: If you, like me, are struggling to figure out what to do with your time alone, then have you considered… don’t hate me… writing?
While the situation wraps us in a blanket of uncertainty and dread, we can still choose to be positive and find productive things to do. If your heart still longs to write, indulge its desires. Grab your laptop (or a paper and pen), find a space in your place of quarantine and explore the creativity of your mind.
If the weight of the world and your personal stresses are tugging on your focus, fret not. It’s understandable to struggle with thinking of what to write in normal, everyday situations. Writing amidst this… well this is a whole other world of crazy to work through. And so, I took this opportunity to give you some strategies to realign your creative juices while in your home/place of self-quarantine in a fun infographic.
I am a bit of a space cadet these days (so pardon my scattered thoughts), but I also thought I should provide you a quick synopsis of what writer’s block is since I have met a few people who were actually unfamiliar with the term. Put simply, writer’s block is defined as “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.”
This can happen from a variety of reasons, the main ones being: timing, fear, and perfectionism. Author Jeff Goins describes these in his article about writer’s block. Timing refers to the time as not being efficient for writing. There are just times one’s mind is just not well-suited for writing and that’s just a reality (like in the middle of a pandemic, for instance). Fear can be encapsulated in a quote once posted in the Marian Writing Center: “the greatest fear shared among writers is looking at a blank page.” Many writers struggle with being vulnerable and putting themselves/their ideas on paper to share with others.
Lastly, perfectionism is wanting “everything to be just right before you ever put pen to paper or touch a keyboard.” Though this may help us get the summa cum laude title in college, this mindset puts a damper on the creative writing process. So, to beat writer’s block is to trample perfectionism.
Now that you have an idea of what writer’s block is and what causes it, I can now provide you my artsy solutions. So enjoy and remember: be safe and stay healthy:
A Little Extra Something For the Struggling Student:
I got one more thing for you, my readers! As an extension of my service as a tutor to college students, I also thought I would share with you one more infographic I created for my tutees. The number one focus of my sessions with my students since the pandemic has surrounded the complex world of Chicago Style. If any of you are struggling with an upcoming, Chicago-style paper, I think that you will find this very simple guide to the style to be a great kick start to being on track with your paper. Voila:
The Writer's Desk 
Hi, Dr. O here. Great job! This was an excellent first post. I’m invested in the blog and the subject.…