Missing: My Creativity!

I haven't been active on here lately, and trust me it hasn't been by choice. Of course, the end of the first semester is always a busy time but also I have been suffering from that horrible, well known condition...writer's block!~

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Writing is such a huge part of who I am, and when I find myself in a creative slump it affects me on so many levels. I feel uncomfortable, lethargic, emotionally and mentally tired. I am missing the way that I express myself and my feelings. I just don't feel like myself. 

Maybe writing isn't your thing. Maybe it's running or painting or music. Either way it isn't unusual to find yourself in a slump from time to time. But how do we get ourselves out of it? It can be such a frustrating process. If you're not careful it can take you away from your passion completely. So what do we do?

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As I mentioned writing is such a big part of what makes me, me. It is my outlet and has been there for me when so many other things haven't. It helps me deal with my anxiety. By expressing my thoughts and feelings through writing I am able to keep myself calm when I start to feel panicked or stressed. Through writing I often learn more about myself and my feelings. When I suffer from writer's block and no longer have this outlet I start to feel incredibly anxious. So first thing I do is try to keep calm. 

It isn't as if I just fall head first into a full blown panic attack. Rather it's a slow build up, as if the thoughts I am having trouble letting out are just building up in this corner of myself and as each day passes that I can't express them there is less and less room to house them. My entire self starts to feel overcrowded. 

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To try and keep these feelings under control, I will indulge in other ways to relax myself. I reread Harry Potter for the thousandth time. I make cups of tea. I listen to the rain. I play soothing music. I doodle. I read cheesy, inspiring quotes. I buy flowers. I reblog photography. By indulging myself in these other activities I not only keep myself from spilling over but I become inspired by other artists and their work. I become calm and more open to my thoughts and my heart. Once that happens, I can try and translate those thoughts onto paper (or screen!). 

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Sometimes I'll still get nothing. Or I will get a bunch of nonsensical thoughts that don't really have a flow, or a theme. But the point is to keep going. To keep writing. Eventually, these random thoughts string together and form an opinion, a story, a message. The goal is to not give up until you get there. 

If I force myself to find a topic to blog about, I will come up short. But if I can find another way to keep myself calm and open to my inner self a topic will usually find its way to me.

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Most importantly I have to remember I am writing for myself. Of course I keep the audience in mind. What will they like? What will they find interesting or useful? But at the end of the day writing is for me. I can't please everyone. I can't put that pressure on myself or I will never write again! 

I think that goes for any passion a person has. You have to remember that it is your passion. It is for you and your happiness, no one else. When you run, run for the sake of running and not how far or how fast you get there. When you paint, just paint what you feel and not worry whether or not they'll hang it in the Louvre. When you study a language, remember why you wanted to learn it in the first place rather than focusing on how fluent you're becoming. Get back to that unrestricted state of being you started from and just lose yourself in your passion. 

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Even now, I am not sure if any of this really makes sense. But I am writing, aren't I? And that's the point. 

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