Clogged Pipes aka Writer's Block

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Do you have clogged pipes?

No, I'm not here to share my kitchen draino woes with you today. Rather I've been mulling about writer's block and I've come up with an idea of my own about the malady.

Writers don't experience writer's block because they've run out of ideas. No, I don't think that's the reason... at least, not always.

After all, how can we run out when we're connected to the Divine Creator who thinks wildly beyond what we can dream or imagine, and I believe He's always happy to share his creativity and wisdom with us.

So, why then do we then find ourselves lacking in creative new writing ideas ?

It's simple. It's because we have not used the ideas we've already been given. When ideas stack up, one on top the other, not being used, they become like those icky layers of old grease that hardens in your kitchen drain. Just as the pipe will eventually clog up, so will our creativity and imagination.

From personal experience, this seems to happen during the times when I haven't done much with the ideas I received last month, last week, or even yesterday. The Idea Man upstairs must scratch his head wondering why he bothers to send more when the old is still sitting around doing nothing.

Jotting down the ideas in a notebook, I'm sorry to say, is not putting them into action. Rats, I thought it was... no, no that's just storing them up. And that's when, I believe, the clogging starts. New material can't come through until some of the old stuff moves on to its destination.

I'm trying to implement ideas as they are given, as I believe it's important to work with an idea while it is still vibrant with possibility. I believe that's when there is the grace to work on it.

Why do you think you got a particular idea today? Perhaps it's because today is its moment to shine. It wasn't ready yesterday, it'll be stale tomorrow. Of course, we understand some ideas are meant to mature in another season. But I do believe we are given fresh material every day that is meant to be worked on that day. And, taking the idea and doing something, anything, will keep things from clogging up -- and once you clear the build up, things will start to flow again.

What ideas are you storing up for a rainy day?  What idea can you pull out and work on today?

Happy Writing,

 Brenda

xox


This post was originally posted at InScribe Writers Online.