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5 Tips for Overcoming Blogger’s Block

Hi, friends!  This post is coming at you live from Hot-lanta, Georgia where I am attending Haven, my first ever blog conference!

Wow, wow, wow.  I already have so much to tell you, and so far, we’ve only had registration, a cocktail party, and dinner…but it is truly incredible to connect with so many fantastic d.i.y. bloggers in one place.  In fact, it’s kind of surreal meeting people whose face you know so well from the million and one times you’ve clicked on their blog.  There are so many folk here who are blogger celebrities in my mind, and it can be easy to feel intimidated.  However, what I keep reminding myself is that at the end of the day, we’re all just people.  We all do laundry.  We all get summoned for jury duty.  We all drool when we sleep.  (Don’t we?  Or am I the only one?)

Haven Mavens!
Haven Mavens!  Moi, Laura from The Turquoise Home, Jamie from So Much Better with Age, Jenna from Rain On a Tin Roof

Since it’s Friday, I want to keep up my tradition of bringing you the Friday Five, but instead of sharing 5 inspirational links, today I’ll be sharing my 5 tips for overcoming blogger’s block!  Yes, you may recognize this list from when I first shared it over at Dear Life, We Need to Talk, the inspirational blog by my friend Johanna.  But for those who may have missed it, here ya go:

A Little History

So, as many of you know, a significant part of my training and work experience has been in English Education.  I can’t even begin to count the number of hours I’ve devoted to coming up with creative solutions for helping students find their groove as writers and break down that deathly wall known as “writer’s block.”  I know the symptoms of writer’s block when I see it: the blank stare, the glazed-over eyes, the doodling pen, and in more extreme cases, the drooling lip.

Teaching in the English Classroom
This is moi, teaching freshman English | 2011-2012

For those of you who are bloggers, you may be all to familiar with writer’s block’s second cousin: blogger’s block.  That staring at the computer screen, fingertips hovering the keyboard like quivering greyhounds at the starting line, awaiting the crack of the gun to signal the start.  And you wait, and you wait, and you wait…but the gun never goes off.  The ideas never strike.  The words never come.  The cursor just sits and blinks on at you like the tapping foot of an impatient mother.

Well, bloggers, let our blogging be blocked no more!  Whether you knew it or not, there are tools at the ready to help us break down that wall before it intimidates us out of creating the blog content we were destined to create.  (Imagine me shouting that last sentence, blue paint on my face, fist in air, a la Braveheart.  Yes, I am that passionate about busting blogger’s block!)

My tips are a hodge podge of wisdom from some of the greats in education and writing theory, as well as lessons I have learned from some of my best teachers: my students themselves.  May this be an inspiration to you, dear reader, and may it help us kick blogger’s block to the curb once and for all.

5 Tips for Overcoming Blogger's Block by Lauren at The Thinking Closet

5 Tips for Overcoming Blogger’s Block

1.  Be ordinary and unimpressive.  Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”  And I know that what often paralyzes my pen is this pressure I place on myself to be as witty as this writer or as brilliant as that one.  But I dare say that there hasn’t been any really inspired writing that has come out of playing the comparison game.  So, our first step is to change the game.

When I was a sophomore in college, I remember a one-on-one meeting with my theatre professor, Mark Lewis.  In it, we discussed my goals for Acting I that year, and he quickly identified my struggle with perfectionism as a block to my creative work.  He told me that for my first acting exercise in front of the class, I should aim for something “ordinary and unimpressive.”

This may sound like bad advice, but for someone like me, who struggles so fervently with this pressure for perfection, it was such a valuable exercise for me.  And by doing something very “ordinary and unimpressive,” it took the pressure off of me for the rest of the semester.  Then, the real work could begin.

So, sometimes, on the first page of a journal, or at the beginning of a blog post draft, I like to type, “This is going to be ordinary and unimpressive” and I’m able to heave a sigh of relief and start to spill.  Try it sometime.

Comparison is the thief of joy. -Teddy Roosevelt
{Source}

2.  Freewrite.  Freewriting is one of my favorite tools for breaking through a block.  Freewriting is when you let your pen (or your typing fingers) go and write whatever comes to mind, even if it’s blah blah blah, until a new thought appears.  The point is to put on a timer, and just fly.  By writing quickly, you don’t give your inner critic time to pipe in.  (You know the inner critic: that voice saying, “That’s not very interesting,” or “Can’t you be more clever?” and “Didn’t they teach you how to spell?”)  In fact, when you freewrite, don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation at all.  Just write.  Without judgment.  Without holding back.  And see what you discover.  You can edit, shape, delete and tweak later.  You might be surprised at what gems unearth when you let yourself go and just…keep…writing.

{Pssst: some of my best blogging has been born out of freewriting.}

3.  Use images instead of words.  Sometimes, we need a break from the written word.  I think the “Wordless Wednesday” movement that you may have seen around blogland is a response to blogger’s block and a valuable one at that.  We can all benefit from a new medium of expression.  And since pictures can speak louder than words, consider sharing a story through photos or selecting one evocative image to suffice as a blog post.  Not only might it be healthy for you as a blogger, but your readers will probably appreciate the change of pace, as well!  As William Cowper wisely put it, “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.”

4.  Read writing that inspires you.  You know that author who you read that never fails to fill you with inspiration and ideas?  For me, that writer is Anne Lamott.  Just reading one chapter from Traveling Mercies or Bird by Bird has my hand is reaching for a pen to start writing.  Great writing inspires great writing.  So, when your blogging is stuck, put down the pen or the laptop and pick up a treasured book.

5.  Slow down.  Natalie Goldberg is one of my writing heroes, and she had this to say about overcoming blogger’s block;

“If you’re having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up — to know that there’s life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can’t find it anywhere else.” ― Natalie Goldberg

And to me, slowing down means shutting off the screens, getting out, and living life!  Go on an adventure with family and friends.  Intentionally choose to do activities that nurture creativity.  It is then that the ideas and inspiration will flow.  And you can return to your blogging with a fresh perspective and reinvigorated spirit.

May you live every day of your life. -Jonathan Swift
Quote by Jonathan Swift {Source}

And for those of you who are more visual and would like something to pin or print or tattoo to your forehead, here you go:

5 Tips for Overcoming Blogger's Block by The Thinking Closet

There you have it!  5 Tips for Overcoming Blogger’s Block.  I hope you each were able to take away a few nuggets of wisdom from this list.  I actually really like writing about writing, so this was a fun one for me.  In fact, it was hard for me to stop at just 5!  (Self-control is not my strong suit.)

If you want some inspiration for your weekend in the form of 5 awesome links, don’t forget to pay a little visit to my girl Thalita at The Learner Observer.  She’s got some goodies to share!

The Friday Five with The Thinking Closet & The Learner Observer

Well, I had better get back to the festivities here at Haven.  If you want to follow along with our antics, I’ll be tweeting and instagramming from the conference…as long as my cell phone battery holds up!  And I plan on taking plenty of notes and photos, so I can share some highlights with you lovelies next week.

Also, don’t forget that I have a really awesome giveaway going on right now for 50 MOO Business Cards for 3 different winners (open to internationals).  You can enter the giveaway and see the biz cards I whipped up for Haven by clicking here.

Have the happiest of weekends, friends!

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34 Comments

  1. I also struggle with perfectionism. I actually did #1 a week ago. Instead of sitting there with a blank page and watching the blinking line mock me…I wrote about a lack of inspiration, procrastination, and perfection-ation. (< "ism" just didn't fit with the parallelism.)

    Of course, it figures that the post I consider and title, "The Worst Blog Post Ever" ends up getting more traffic in a week than any of my more purposeful posts. (When I say "more traffic" I'm talking maybe 40 views…I'm no big-time blogger, just someone who loves to write.)

    The post that I hoped no one would see received quite positive feedback. Some even shared it with others who they were reminded of when reading it. To which of course I reacted, "Out of ALL my posts, THIS is the one you share?" Anyways. I'm searching for some inspiration again and found this. Unfortunately I can't pull the same stunt twice in a row.

    http://transformedrebel.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-worst-blog-post-ever.html#comment-form

    1. Joan, thanks so much for sharing your Worst Blog Post Ever! It’s fantastic – – which is ironic considering your title and “lack of purpose” so to speak…but I think it’s helpful information for you to gather about your audience and what appeals to them. It was a revealed blog post. One in which you admitted struggle. Abandoning the plan. And that can be a breath of fresh air in this photo-shopped Pinterest perfect web-world.

      Keep spilling. While it may not all go “viral” in your community, I know you’ll continue to inspire others with what you share! And I dare say you’ll discover some gems in the mix. {My favorite part: “Face first. On broken skis. Into a giant cactus.” Fantastic imagery.}

      By the way, if you enjoy freewriting, you might enjoy Five Minute Fridays! Here’s one of mine as an example.

      1. Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to read it and reply! That means so much to me. It definitely was relieving just to let go and be honest. If anything, I’m sure my few readers can relate to my “not-having-it-together”ness.

        I will definitely check out your freewrite, as well as subscribe. (Hey, good things DO come out of writer’s block…I found your blog!)

  2. Fab advice, I’ll be bookmarking this page for sure. I particularly love number one, i’ll be trying it out tonight, even reading ‘be ordinary & unimpressive’ is very freeing! Would welcome a follow up post with any more tips you have! Thank you, Gail xx

    http://www.joyforroses.com

  3. I loved reading these tips once before and loved reading ’em again. My favorite is number 4…often reading great books inspire me to want to write. Some of those authors are Tolkien, Shakespeare, and the Bronte sisters. Even reading poetry makes me want to write poetry. And thanks, too, for introducing me to Lamott and Goldberg…they’re at the top of the list!

    1. I don’t know how you can read the greats and not be inspired to write. (And I consider you one of the greats, Lisbeth! Looking forward to reading that book you publish one day….)

    1. Whaaaaat?! Get out! No, don’t get out. Stay! And thank you so much for letting me know, Ginger. You rock.

    1. Welcome to blogland, Katie! Glad to know that this post may have been an inspiration to you! I started my blog nearly one year ago, and I continue to learn new things each and every day. Thankfully, bloggers are generous enough to share their knowledge and experience, so I try to return the favor and share some of what I’ve learned along the way, too. Take deep breaths, take it a day at a time, and enjoy the ride.

    1. Happy to help a blogger sister out, Paula! (Though of course, I hope your days are free of blogger’s block so you don’t need to reference it.)

  4. This was great! Thank you! I seriously struggle with #1. There are so many great and witty bloggers out there that it’s intimidating when you’re a new blogger trying to make your mark in the blog world.

    I was really struggling with the block there for several weeks(I can blame that on 1st trimester prego brain, right?) I had several mediocre posts, and blogging just wasn’t my thing at the time. I stopped focusing on posting consistently and just let my brain rest. And now I’m feeling better and have so many new ideas in my draft folder!

    1. I know. I totally get the intimidation factor. And we’re usually our worst enemy, or our inner critic is, so just allowing it to be “ordinary and unimpressive” can take off that pressure that stilts our writing and allow us to get those words flowing. Usually, it ends up being extraordinary and impressive in the end! It sounds like you had a great approach to overcoming your block recently. Sometimes giving our brain rest is what we really need! Stepping away in order to refresh and come at it again with a new sense of energy. Way to go, Elizabeth!

  5. Hey rock star!

    You are so right….one of my favorite sayings is, “Don’t let comparison steal your joy.” It was awesome to meet you at Haven and I adore you and your blog! Always remember that you are truly amazing and such an inspiration to others.

    Happy day friend!
    karianne

  6. That conference sounds like a lot of fun! The #1 tip really stood out to me personally. I have a bad habit of comparing myself to others in pretty much every aspect in life so of course it would run over into my blogging. I need to put that aside and just work on being me 🙂

  7. This was a great post. I sometimes just write, leave it alone, and then edit. It seems to come together that way. Then sometimes I think people don’t expect me to be witty all the time. It reminds me of my best friend and I were at a restaurant having dinner. Our other friend came in with her new boyfriend and she came over to introduce him. She said to him, these are my friends and they are really funny. To us she said, ” Say something funny.” We started laughing because it is not easy to be spontaneously funny, but sometimes you can be funny spontaneously.

  8. Lauren, these tips are awesome. I especially love the first, “Be ordinary and unimpressive.” Such great advice to just capture life as it is an not try to make it something extraordinary.
    I often try freewriting, or free-typing, to clear up a block. If I’m freetyping, I put a piece of paper in front of the screen so I can’t be distracted by misspellings and errors and I can just go!

  9. Thanks for sharing this, some great advice. I used to be an English teacher too and when I get stuck I try to remember what I told my students!

    1. Thank you for introducing me many years ago to Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott and to Natalie Goldberg. Looking forward to slowing down more as the years go by and writing more.
      You are so blessed to have this blog as a venue to let your writing and other creativie juices splish, splash, and spill!

      1. You’ve always been a voracious reader, Mama. I admire that so much about you…and of course, any writing you pen is a gift to whoever reads it! Oh, the books you could spill yourself!

        And yes, I do feel so blessed by The Thinking Closet as a creative space for me and for you!

  10. Lauren,
    Great advice I am going to bookmark this to read and reread for sure! I have been following your fun at the conference on Instagram so keep them coming! I will be going next year for sure!
    Have fun
    Sandra
    The Adored Home

  11. So that’s what Haven is all about! Another blogger I follow, Miss Mustard Seed, is there! So wish I could climb in my computer and join you all!! And FYI you are a celebrity to me! Have fun and watch for M.M.S!

  12. Great post, Lauren! You provide such inspiration and I appreciate how real you are with your readers, acknowledging your struggles as well as your process for overcoming them. It takes real humility. Besides, you always overcome it because your writing is never ordinary and always impressive!

    So glad to hear you’re having a great time at the conference, my friend! Wish I could be there too, even though I’m not blogging anymore. It would be so fun to meet everyone!

  13. Can’t wait to hear your stories from Haven! Have a wonderful time and meanwhile, we’re going to get to enjoy your hubby for his brother’s birthday dinner tonight! Wish you were here!

  14. Lauren,

    Comparison is the thief of Joy! So very true. Be ordinary. Ah, I’ve been getting your posts in my
    e-mail box for some time now and let me say, your blog rocks! Since I first met you via in cyberspace, I knew you were destined for great things! Boy, if I had half your energy I’d be rocking too! This is a fantastic post. Love every one of the suggestions because I KNOW they work. I’m back to blogging after a 5 month hiatus and let me tell you……it’s a slow process for me. But Lauren, you are inspiring with your wisdom, creativity and enthusiasm! My goal is to get to the Haven conference next year. Looking forward to all the wonderful stories and tips that you will bring back and share with all of us. Have a fabulous weekend! Cyber hugs!

  15. Wow, this was AMAZING! Great advice and I agree with every single tip as I’ve tried them all. They work! Hope you have a great time at your conference, I’m hoping to get to one someday as well:)

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