I put 1125 words on my writing tracker last night, which goes by weeks, and realized those were the first words I’d written since November 2. Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why and even before last week’s events, I was dealing with grad school research papers and other things that threatened to zap my creativity. But I also knew that I wasn’t alone. There’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, then perhaps you haven’t written as much as you’ve wanted to this month or can’t write at all, and that’s why I decided to write this blog.
Stress, worry, frustration, anger…all of those emotions are creativity zappers. For those of us who are neurodivergent, getting overwhelmed is a real issue, and when we get overwhelmed repeatedly, we start to burn out. So it makes sense if you haven’t written as much And I want you to know you’re not alone.
First, if you can’t write, give yourself kindness. Treat yourself with understanding, the way you would if a good author friend came to you and said you can’t write. Try to do something to help spur your creativity like rewatching a movie or series that you loved or going back to a favorite author or genre.
Understand that emotions can be messy and difficult. We’re human, and being human can be tough sometimes. So even though there are deadlines to meet and words to write, be as gentle as yourself with possible. Learning how to be gentle with yourself, I would argue, is one of the most important skills to have as an author today.
The words will come; you will write again. In the meantime, if you need support, reach out. The writing community, and I, are here for you.