I am no stranger to the wretched creative block.
Oftentimes I find myself poised to bang my head into the wall repeatedly, simply trying to come up with something to say. Sometimes I sit there and think to myself "NO ONE CARES, DUMMY" when my latest "ingenious idea" turns out to be really, really lame. And sometimes I just need a break.
But I couldn't let a third week slip past without putting something on my blog. That'd just be ridiculous. So here we are.
I just COULDN'T anymore with this block. I needed to find a way past it, for the sake of my blog and my sanity. So I came up with some ideas.
The overall theme being: get out of your damn head.
My mind is a dangerous place to be. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which means I'm anxious about basically everything on planet Earth - and even some things amidst the stars. I also have bouts of mild-to-severe depression. It's a thing, I'm working on it, I digress. MY POINT IS, I get stuck in my own head and that path leads nowhere good. I find that most of my creative blockage stems from mental malaise. Some people are really good at turning their pain into something beautiful. When I'm down, I just can't create.
So here are some ways to shake that:
Read a book
Me? Read? Shocker, I know. Books are my number one source of escapism. When I read a book, the rest of the world ceases to exist; it's the fastest and easiest way for me to forget every last thing that's bothering me. Sometimes all it takes is a little distance from a problem to realize that it's not that big of a deal after all.
Take a bath
Nothing like a little forced relaxation to really let go of what's keeping your mind blocked. I mean, it's REALLY hard to be stressed out when you're surrounded by bubbles. Just try saying "bubbles" in a really angry way. If you can manage without dissolving into a fit of giggles, I'll be impressed. Probably because I am a child and think it's hilarious.
Yoga
I'll be the first to tell you that I am NOT AT ALL good at yoga. The only pose I can actually do is the Pigeon Pose, and that's a fluke of hip flexibility. And as previously mentioned, my brain doesn't have that off-switch. One second I'll be counting my breaths and the next I'll be thinking about what accent my cat would have if she were a human. My mind just moves a mile a minute and it's not easy to get it to slow down and focus on, well, not focusing on anything at all. BUT. Yoga does work. The workout stimulates blood flow to your brain and BOOM. Suddenly you're thinking all sorts of new creative things.
Appreciate
When I'm really kicking myself, I try to take a moment and sit down with my best girl Watson. All it takes is a few minutes of squishing her furry little face before my worries melt away. It sounds cheesy, I know, but whatever. She's happy and loved and well-fed, and that's because of me. The way she flops in my lap and looks up at me shows me that I am enough for her and that's enough for me. It gives me a new appreciation for the life that I have and I stop worrying so much about what I don't.
So here's a photo of me doing the only yoga pose I know. I'm going to go curl up with my cat and a book and be back fresh as f*ck for you next week. Peaceeeee.