Overcoming Blogger's Block: Step 1
So yesterday I hopped on twitter and made a confession: I've been having a horrible case of the dreaded bloggers block lately. You've probably experienced the feeling too in one way or another (even if you're not a blogger)...maybe you were stuck while trying to write an important paper, needed to draw something brilliant and could only muster a half-hearted stick figure, or just stared in the fridge listlessly and realized that you have no idea what you're looking for in there (err...I mean, no idea what to cook for supper). Whatever the type of block may be, when it parks itself in your brain, it's no fun. Am I right, or am I right?
In any case, I received some incredibly lovely supportive tweets and several suggestions for breaking through the block. The main ones were:
- get away from the computer
- go outside
- take some photos
Excellent advice...so I did all three. To be honest I really just decided to leave the house so that I'd be doing something other than staring at a blank screen and fighting off tears of frustration, but you know what...after the first couple photos I started to feel world's better. So my blogger's block isn't completely gone, but at least I had a lovely evening and can share a little bit of that with you here today. Step 1: Get a change of scenery - completed!
Next up, Overcoming Blogger's Block: Step 2 - not sure what that is yet, but I'll keep you posted. xo Ez
37 Lovely Comments | Email Article | found in About Me / My Shops, Musings, Photography / Styling Print Article | Share This | 
| by Ez Thursday, March 22, 2012 
Reader Comments (37)
Love that first photo of the cardinal. He's a beauty and your photo is lovely!
Gorgeous photos. Nature's my favorite source of inspiration ;)
perfectly inspiring! glad you are overcoming:) isn't twitter THE greatest? xo
Well, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't take my summer vacation essay idea ;-p Seriously though, Ez my dear, your are a wonderful blogger and I know you'll get past bloggers block. These photos and lovely and inspiring! You're an extremely creative and curious person so I KNOW that a new batch of inspiration is right around the corner for you. It can't not happen!
Thanks so much Susan, Donaville, Hannah, and Heather!
@ Heather - Your suggestion was great...but unfortunately I haven't taken a vacation in who knows how long. So maybe an essay on what I didn't do over the Summer is in order. ;-)
I feel this way too sometimes. A few weeks ago, I stepped away from the computer and decided to clean out a closet and see what I could find. I came across a bunch of old craft supplies, and my grandpa's stamp collection....which turned into a day of cataloging and organizing and eventually ended in a project that I photpgraphed and was able to use as a post. :) Sometimes stuff hiding around your house makes spurs creativity.
Do something out of your routine. Go on an adventure. Sit in a part of your city/town that you don't usually go to.
I love the simple advice of taking more photos. It's a great way to re-process what you've done with your day and be extra mindful.
Good luck with beating the block!
Your photos are gorgeous Ez! I always find that getting out helps the block, going to a museum, restaurant I've been dying to try, going for a walk...all these things help.
Beautiful photo's!
Def getting out of the house is a good idea. you need to find something you are interested in to get back into blogging. Or just stop trying to post all together, if you have no inspiration for it dont try. Then at some point you will get a blast of inspiration and then you will know what to write.
Just stay confident.
The bird photo is enchanting!
Thanks for posting this! The pictures are gorgeous and spring is much farther along for you so it gives me something to look forward. I've had a recent change of job etc. on top of a major house issue that has about 3/4 of our living space in "construction" (or rather destruction) mode so I've lacked the usual blogging topics (cooking and knitting) so there have been many looong silences! I'm inspired to take a walk over my lunch break tomorrow and capture some of my surroundings!
Oh, these are beautiful. I feel so refreshed looking at them.
It's nice to know that creative people I admire get stuck sometimes, too! :)
Something I do that tends to spark ideas and creativity is browse through my own sketchbooks and notebooks. When I am at my day job or away from my creative space, I write little ideas down and scribble drawings and diagrams to remember for later. When I'm feeling uninspired, I look through my sketchbook and remember those great ideas I had before! That often sparks some motivation to get going and try out some new ideas. Starting random craft projects seems to help me, too.
I love that cardinal pic! Sadly, I've never seen one in real life.
They were just talking about this on NPR the other day. Here is a quick link to a short bit about it:
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/19/148777350/how-creativity-works-its-all-in-your-imagination
if anything... it's a little distraction! :)
Great pics!
What absolutely beautiful photographs.
Boy can I relate! It's somewhat reassuring to know that even people with blogs as amazing as yours go through the same thing. Not that I would ever wish it on anyone, but I'm sure it makes many of us feel less alone.
Your pictures are gorgeous, so I guess when all else fails and you can think of anything to say, just give people something to look at! :P
Off to take your advice and go on a walk with my dog right now!
I'm suffering a bit too... blogger and creative block.... it's driving me a bit mental! It is so true that you have to get away from your current surroundings and get a fresh view on things! You have inspired me to take my camera out with me to the park today and take some photos! Thank you :)
Sometimes I think it's more about audience anxiety. If we wrote posts like no one was reading, would they be different. Mine invariably are and often more true to why I started the blog in the first place.
don't worry, i've been having blogger's block off and on and i realized you do just have to step away and not think "too much" about it.
p.s. you're a great blogger, so don't worry. =)
Yes, often just getting away from teh source of frustration breathes fresh air into the situation!
Here's hoping your BB doesn't last long!
Always good advice when you've got a creative block going on. Mine comes and goes, and I'm such a cheater: I avoid showing it by doing a ton of blog posts while I'm feeling creative and saving the non-time-sensitive ones to post later when I'm feeling boring!
Don't you think it's kind of ironic how many bloggers write a blog about their life, but a blog can easily become your life, and before you now it, all you do is blog and don't have a life. I know from experience, a blog can become very consuming and it doesn't help the writer's blog one wit.
Love the picture of the birdie, btw.
I absolutely love that first photo! I start baking when I need to kickstart a rut.. sometimes a good brownie is all it takes!
gorgeous photos, ez. good luck with the block. you're always inspiring to me, lady! :D