Sometimes when I try to write, it feels like this grey, stormy sky. It feels like there should be a lot going on, like words should be raining down around me, but in reality I have a head full of cloudy quiet.
In those moments, I am tempted to make myself write…to just get the words out on the page. And sometimes, I think that works fine.
But there are other moments when I give myself permission to sit in the quiet and wait.
I know that I can’t always force the words to come.
I can write and see if they begin to flow, but if they don’t, then maybe it’s not a day to write.
Maybe I need to get out and eat an amazing salad or see a beautiful tree or listen to an awesome song. Perhaps I need some sleep or a little caffeine. There is a chance I need a break. Or some inspiration.
But what I always need is trust.
That is hard when the sky is quiet and the words are held up in the clouds.
Creativity is not a mechanism or a machine. It is not something I can push and pull and contort to my own will. While it takes dedication and focus and practice, it also takes quiet and listening and feeling and being.
I have learned on those days when the words seem a little further away, that I need to let myself enjoy life, breathe, listen, and wait patiently for their return.
Do you ever have a hard time writing? What do you do on those days when the words do not flow? What are some things you do to get the juices flowing? Let us know below.
