There are times when I find that when searching for something to write about, my mind (such as it is) often refuses to give up the goods. This surprises me since I’ve always excelled at such worthwhile pursuits as daydreaming and letting my mind wander off on imaginative adventures, usually when I’m supposed to be doing something else. So why the mind blank when I have hours to catch up on my writing. Well let’s see here…
The ever questionable Wikipedia defines writers block as this:
Writer’s block can be closely related to depression and anxiety[citation needed], two mood disorders that reflect environmentally caused or spontaneous changes in the brain’s frontal lobe. This is in contrast to hypergraphia, more closely linked to mania, in which the changes occur primarily in the temporal lobe. These processes, and their implications for treatment, are described in neurologist Alice Flaherty’s book The Midnight Disease.
Hmmm. That’s funny, I don’t feel depressed. Maybe a bit down because one of my disabilities from my time in the service is now making my future uncertain. Well, let’s step back and look at that again:
- Feeling lousy
- Medication for above making me really woozy
- Missing work again
- Can’t even do most household chores
- They changed my GI doctor at the VA so I have to start all over
Alright, I’ll just have to be honest about this. I am feeling down and it’s obviously affecting my ability to come up with my usual outstanding content or perhaps just the word content is a more accurate. So I sat down and decided to just write a post like this one. Seems to have worked somewhat.
But wait…there’s more to this that meets the eye as the above article continues:
However, another interpretation of writer’s block, sometimes confused with scant output, is given in the book Silences, by Tillie Olsen, who argues that historically many women and working-class writers have been unable to devote themselves to, or concentrate on, their writing because their social and economic circumstances prevent them from doing so.
Okay, I can well understand about the working class on account of I’m one of them but women? Why are they more prone to writers block? So I looked around on the web in search of why this might be but to no avail. Plenty of women writers writing about writers block but no reason why women are more susceptible to writers block. Considering that all female writers are not necessarily comprised of young, married women with kids (although that hasn’t even appeared to stop any of them from writing and writing well), I have not found reason one why this should be. Perhaps I should ask Liz, Sara and Emma if they know.
Either way, it took me all day just to decide to write this up. Sometimes it seems that just beginning a post with no idea what I’m going to write about and letting it find it’s own way is often successful. At least something comes out. It’s kind of fun watching where it takes me as if my mind and hands were a separate entities.
So in order to keep this thing from wandering too far afield and getting into territories completely unknown plus the fact that it’s time to watch a movie, I shall end this now. Tomorrow is another day and a trip to VA to see if there’s something that can be done about this situation of mine.
This just might be what’s supposed to happen…ya’ never know. 
Possibly Related posts
Tags: disabilities, Environment, medication, PHP, the blog, writing
October 1st, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Oh Kirk,
Don’t buy it. Writer’s block is realizing how hard it is to write — that your brain needs fueling. That most of us haven’t got the practice at being creative on a calendar. Go take time off and you’ll come back with a fury. You know you will. I know you will You’ll do in one day then what most folks would take five to put together.
October 1st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Lots of ways to crack through writer’s block. Just writing about writer’s block is one. Seems like you got through it with this post
Tomorrow’s another day.
One tip to rid yourself of writer’s block is to change mediums. If you can’t find something to spur your imagination on the web, then read a book, watch a movie, go to the store, watch what happens at a traffic light. In other words, unplug
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:34 am
Hey Kirk, I have to agree with the above 2 posts. Taking a break and relaxing usually refreshes the mind.
Women in Tillie Olson’s time didn’t get much of a chance to relax. They had so many household responsibilities that their time wasn’t their own. It’s hard to let the creative juices flow when your exhausted and overextended.
That’s just my take on it. But I think that’s why she compared all women with only working class men. Tired and no free time.
Thanks for the mention that was an interesting post. Emma
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:38 am
I agree with unplug, sometimes it’s best just to walk away from this box that we sit staring into for so long. Does a body (and brain) good.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hi all,
Thanks so much for your replies and kind advice.
Hi Liz,
I promise I won’t buy anything before I take it for a test drive first. It’s just ironic that this malady of mine has kept me out of work and I have time on my hands to write. Of course I just can’t understand why feeling rotten would curb my creative thinking now can I?
Hey TDavid,
Does a trip to the VA count? It’s a two hour drive through the green mountains down to the CT River Valley. It’s really beautiful.
Hi Emma,
Thanks for the answer, it makes perfect sense. Soooo…women of today’s world don’t have those kind of obligations still? So you’ve been fibbin’ us guys all along? Sheeesh!
Morning Elaine,
I like how you put that. Now if only I can find the right extension cord to that plug.
Thanks again all. makes me feel all that much better.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Funny, I don’t want to get too controversial. But women of today still have more on their plate than time available. The difference is they have more of a say now in how they use some of that time.
For example next time you want a cookie or piece of bread. Get some flour and other assorted ingredients and whip it up from scratch. Now multiply that extra effort by every simple household chore. And my point will start to make sense.
They didn’t have the luxury of delegating their precious time because meeting basic needs used up all of the precious time and energy resources.
I just think that is what was meant by the quote you used.
Thanks for making me think. Emma
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Emma,
I think you might have hit on something there. Especially since the quote is speaking historically. Men worked all day and came home to relax. Women worked all day and then worked to make sure their men could relax. Disenfranchised groups are always compromised when it comes to creative endeavors. Women might have been blocked because when they did get a few minutes during which they could write, their brains just wanted to rest. I think you must be right because I can’t think of what else that quote could mean.
Kirk,
I think writing, like you did, about writers’ block is one of the best ways to cure it. Another thing I like to do is catch up on reading - newspapers, feeds, doesn’t matter. If I stop pressuring myself to get something written and just switch activities my brain will usually start spinning again. I also have an “ideas” file where I collect bits and pieces of things about which I’d like to write. When I’m not sure where to go next, I read through that and - more often than not - I’m able to find something that interests me.
Sara
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Hi Emma,
No controversy at all since you won’t ever get an argument out of me over it. How can you argue the truth?
And I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m rather old fashioned minded and still put women on a bit of a pedestal but won’t insist upon it if they don’t wish to be there. I’ll still hold the door for them whether they like it or not though.
And I’ve even made my own cookies. I can cook too! (it’s even edible…I think)
My life’s experience has been rather unique and has given me a much wider and more open viewpoint than I’ve seen in most people I’ve met throughout my life (which absolutely does not make me any better or worse than anybody else) so I tend to see people as who they are individually rather than what society labels them to be (bah!).
So it would seem logical to me then that women would be able to make more efficient use of their time and would explain why quite often women bloggers who are also “on the go” still appear to be very productive in churning out good content day in and day out. I hope I’m making some sense here.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:06 pm
Of course Kirk. All is good.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Hi Sara,
All good points. I did have an idea list of sorts going at one time which I’ll have to initiate again. I’ve been slacking in that area. One of the things I used to be able to do (when I was younger) when I was writing short stories and articles (satire) was get up a 3:00 AM or whenever those “wee hours of the morning” ideas used to hit me and just go out to my old 386 and write them up while the idea was fresh. This was the days before the WWW rolled around of course. I find it a bit more difficult to that do these days for some reason. Wonder why?
Hmm. I still have those old stories/articles hanging around somewhere. Perhaps I should revive a couple three and post them. I’ll have to think on that. Maybe I should have a couple of you check them out first to see what you think.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Not to worry Kirk, something will happen to get you going again. Sunday I had a post in my head and photos galore and then boom, my dog got hit and that post went out the window. Now I feel somewhat guilty writing about beautiful skies and colorful trees and moss. I was busy taking photos of that lovely moss that grows on trees. It may come out one day, the post about moss, but typically I don’t look back.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:00 am
Friend
I don’t get writer’s block . . . I just start typing and something good always appears . . . Try it. Dreams are yours to share.
Dan H.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:59 am
Hi Janet,
Yup, that would definitely throw a post right out of my head alright. I’m sorry about Toby and I’m glad he survived it all. Hope he’s on the mend.
And I don’t think he’d mind if you went ahead with your post.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Sounds like excellent advice Dan and welcome.
October 4th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
If this was true, I’d never get out of my jammies each day… oh wait!
October 5th, 2007 at 11:15 am