I have a problem, a big problem in fact, it’s a problem that most if not all fellow writers suffer from.

A disease so terrible that it makes leprosy look like the common cold!

I have…writer’s block!

Okay, I may have used some hyperbole there, but when I say writer’s block is one of the worst things you can have I mean it! Just put yourself in my shoes for a second, and yes, they happen to be size 10 Adidas superstars (I rock my shell toes with pride!)

Imagine you are in an Advanced Journalism class, and really loving it. You send out stories left and right – boom bam done! But then one day, something is different. You freeze, your mind is stagnant, as if it’s a Honda Civic that has run out of gas. You try and try to come up with words and ideas for your article, which has a deadline for the end of the week and you simply cannot muster up the words to make it work. This is writer’s block, and what it does to the mind of your friendly neighborhood news writer…Yes I’m aware not all people like reporters, but hey we aren’t going anywhere as long as you live in America so sorry buddy!

I think every person whose job involves creating some form of media has had this problem one way or another as writer’s block takes many forms. Maybe you are a youtuber trying to find out what type of content will bring in the views, or a comedian coming up with your next punchline. Point is, this freezing up of the mind affects all who go through life creating and though it may seem impossible to overcome, there are ways to overcome it.

One way can be to look at others’ work to gain inspiration for your own content. Now of course I’m not saying to outright steal their ideas, but there is no shame in gaining inspiration for others, in fact having the humility to realize something else that is not your own is a great idea or is done really well is a key component in creating successful and engaging media. Another way to get through writer’s block is to have the mindset of finding things you would not normally think of for example… Say you are looking for that perfect word to describe something that happened at the big game. “The Centennial Eagles were…” you’re stuck so you look around your surroundings. You see a poster for a spelling bee and a light bulb glows over your head. Your thinkers start hitting those keys “The Centennial Eagles were fighting like bees going after a kid who threw a rock at their hive.” Now I know that is a cheesy example, but you get the idea that inspiration can come from the smallest things, so don’t think so big simply, look around and who knows! A proper idea can be right in front of you.

Finally, I will leave you off with one more method that I am using right now as I’m writing this! Take a negative and make it a positive. Yes I’m aware that sounds like something your mom would say and yes that is something my mom told me – but it works! I took my case of writer’s block and used it to make an article that can be used to help others that too suffer from writer’s block. This can be applied to anything though, say you can’t get the eyes right on that face you are drawing. Well who said your art style has to conform to others? Take the way you draw that face and make your own style – use what you thought was a mistake, and turn it into something you did right! That’s just one example, but I’m sure you can come up with more on your own in the way you can come up with your own solutions for whatever type of writer’s block you are dealing with. That’s the thing about people, when you throw something at someone, it doesn’t matter what it is, but rather how said person deals with it.