writer’s block | beststorycoach

I started a new series for this blog just a little over a year ago. I had finished the series on “Junk Stories” and was ready to begin a new series on Toxic Tales: Stories That Cause Harm. I wrote an outline, began research, and started the first article.

…And then…I stopped.

I stopped working on the series and the blog. I continued creating spoken word stories and other written content, but the blog drifted into silence. At first I thought about the content but procrastinated. Eventually I pushed it out of my mind.

Today is the December 17^th, 2018, two weeks before the year is over. I opened my blog this morning and looked at the picture. Whatever blocked me from writing a year ago is still here. I looked at the picture and went about my work until midday when I finally read the last article. I agree with everything I wrote, so why am I still pushing against writing this series?

Here’s what I’ve come up.

Art is fun. All art forms are fun to create, experience, and enjoy, and it’s easy to just leave it there. Stories fill up a lot of our time. We listen, tell, write, watch, and read stories. There’s a part of me that just wants to enjoy the story and not think too hard. If I admit (especially on a public blog) that stories can be harmful, I need to take responsibility when I encounter toxic tales. Part of me just wants to have fun, but another (wiser) part of me knows better.

So I’m stepping forward. Over the next few weeks I’ll explore how stories can be harmful or dangerous. I hope you’ll join me in this (sometimes scary) exploration.

We all get bogged down, stalled, blocked. Musicians, painters, writers, performers: all artists get stuck. It often happens after a success and a burst of productivity. Other times it happens after a well deserved break or vacation. We tend to stall right at a time when we’re ready to surge forward. That’s when things stop.

It’s a lot like driving a car and getting stuck in the mud. You’ve been zooming along, making good time when the tires get swallowed by soft, supple mud. It’s wet and unformed. If it was in a farmer’s field you might call it fertile land, but it’s part of the road so now it’s a major headache. You spin your wheels in an attempt at freedom, but you just sink deeper. Maybe you get out of the car and get the shovel from the trunk, (I always carry a shovel in my trunk) and try to dig yourself out. Unfortunately there is a lot of mud. Whatever mud you dig out is instantly replaced by other mud.

Finally you decide you can’t do this alone. You need help. The first person to walk by just got their driver’s permit. They suggest gunning the motor. Now you realize you not only need help, but you need help from somebody who knows how to get out of the mud. You look around and find somebody who lives in the area. He tells you he’s been stuck in a similar mud hole just down the block. He puts cardboard under the tires and tells you to gently move back and forth and then he pushes. It doesn’t happen right away, it takes some time but together you move out of the mud and return to the road.

It’s the same for artists. We often get stuck when things are fertile and we get frustrated. Sometimes we work really hard, {spinning our wheels} and just get more stuck. Maybe we’ll go for the shovel and logically try to move forward,but if you don’t know how to handle the mud, more will just replace it.

So, you got to find somebody to help, somebody who knows about being stuck. I suggest a story coach. She knows how to listen and guide you through the story that’s build a wall around you. Maybe a new story will open the door, or maybe owning the beginning or end of the story will move you forward. A story coach will also listen to the process of your music, painting, sculpture, dance, or performance. As the story unfolds, your art will not only move forward but rise to new levels.

Story coaching can be done in person or online through Skype or Google Hangout. If you are ready to embrace your art and get back to work, please give me a call.

Learn more about story coaching or schedule a session with me at Rivka@SimplyExtraordinaryTales.com. 862-268-4989

Mention this blog and receive $50 off a 3 session package.

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