Introduction

We've all felt that moment of dread when we realize that our words have been trapped in the recesses of our minds and will never see the light of day. Writer's block is an incredibly common phenomenon, but it doesn't have to be permanent! Let's discuss how to work through writer's block by leaning into the feminised ways of being, like taking time off from writing and exercising your creativity.

First, what do I mean by 'feminised ways of being'? The feminine is an aspect of ourselves that is associated with the qualities of softness, receptivity and sensitivity. The masculine, on the other hand, is associated with strength, action and dominance. The masculinised way of being is active and striving, while the feminised way of being is receptive and intuitive. When I talk about the feminine and masculine energies, I'm not saying that men are always active and women are always receptive. These are just generalisations that have been associated with gender over centuries, and they're useful for understanding how our patriarchal culture has led us to believe that men should be dominant over women, feminised people, and over nature. It also means that we value masculinised ways of beings over feminised ways of being. Masculinised traits like self-discipline, focus and productivity are important for writers, but they won't get us very far if we don't learn how to tap into our creative selves! Instead, having an overrepresentation of masculinised ways of being can lead to writer's block in the first instance.

Here's a few things to consider when you're staring at a blank page, the cursor consistently blinking, and yet no words are coming:

Breaking free from writer's block can be as simple as taking a break.

Taking a break from writing can be just what you need. Sometimes, when we're stuck on a project and feel like our creativity has dried up, we'll try to force ourselves to continue working on it anyway—and that's not always the best solution. Instead of pushing yourself through writer's block, try taking some time away from your project by doing something else creative or relaxing instead.

Take a walk around the block or go for a run in your neighborhood (or both!). Get some fresh air and enjoy nature while trying not to think about what needs to be done, or 'how far behind' you are on your writing goals. The doing of writing can wait, and you will find your way back to it. Until then, focus on anything else. You'd be surprised how breaks become generative for your writing—especially when you do not have any expectations of it being so.

Sometimes, you need to take a step back and analyse the reasons behind your writer's block.

Experiencing writer's block in a patriarchal world makes it necessary to take a step back and analyze the reasons behind your writer's block. Consider questions like:

●    Are you writing habits getting in the way because you're so focused on the end product? If so, consider making changes to them. For example: if you usually just sit right down and expect yourself to start writing, try ritualising your writing practice. Light some candles if that's your thing, or listen to music and dance to get your body flowing. All the steps that you take before sitting down to write inform what, how, and why you write. Ritualising your writing practice allows you to bring in a holistic approach to your writing and takes the focus off of productivity and onto what feels good and nourishing for you—and therefore, a place of channeling creativity.

●    Is there anything else going on with me? Sometimes all it takes is taking stock of what else is happening in our lives before we realise that our lack of inspiration isn't really due to any sort of problem with our writing itself—it just means we need some time away from work so that we can recharge ourselves mentally and emotionally before returning refreshed and ready for action again. Just like the previous question, your writing practice extends far beyond the act of sitting down at your laptop and writing. If there are other things that are occurring in your life that are preoccupying your mind, trying to force yourself to produce is only going to further alienate you from yourself. There will be times when something else needs to be tended to in order to allow creativity to visit you again. Sometimes that means being on the couch. Other times, it means shirking your responsibilities where you can (e.g. choosing to send that email the next day instead) so you can prioritise staring into nothing for a large portion of the day. Whatever it is that you're needing to do for you, find ways to tend to that wherever possible.

It can be hard to tell if you're experiencing writer's block, apathy or burnout.

It can be hard to tell if you're experiencing writer's block, apathy or burnout. Writer's block is not a problem with writing; it's an issue between writing and the writer. Our relationship to our writing practice has been dictated under masculinised (and capitalised) modes of existence. Is it any wonder that we don't really feel like writer's if we're not actively writing every day? Or that we're somehow not writers because we're not getting paid to write? The notion of writer's block is not only problematic, it's also a symptom of our collective belief that writing must be done through a patriarchal lens. The way we experience work and labour under capitalism is deeply gendered. And yes, racism is gendered, too—which means understanding capitalism as only racial or only gendered is missing the forest for the trees. But, that discussion could be for a blog in its own right.

I digress.

It was only when I realised that my time spent writing wasn't being valued because it wasn't considered "real work" that I started to feel like an imposter. I was 14 when I learned this. I loved writing stories, poems, drawing, scribbling, and so on. But when I chose art and writing electives at high school, my parents stopped at nothing to remind me that the arts 'do not make money'. And, in stereotypical fashion, they encouraged me to become a medical doctor so I could have stability and financial security.

Such is the trauma of capitalism, of scarcity and (in)security.

Even though I pushed against this until college, the messages I received about my writing didn't stop. Somehow, writing in a way that was unique to me and my voice—that was picked for various poetry readings or short story competitions during school—needed to be moulded in University and forced out in a very specific way. After my undergraduate degree, I stopped caring about writing. I felt like it wasn't fun anymore because I had to write in a way that wasn't for me, and instead for everyone else. Soon, creativity stopped visiting me. And it was at least a decade before I embarked on healing my relationship with writing and pulling myself out of the apathetic state that I was in. In fact, that’s why I started integrating and prioritising this healing in my writing coaching services—because the relationship to our creativity needs to be healed for us to live in a profoundly different way.

Exercising creativity can help us recover from stresses in other areas of our life and build our capacity for resistance.

We can use creativity as a way to express ourselves, even when we don't feel like it. Creativity is an important part of recovery from stress and trauma. It helps us build our capacity for resistance.

Creativity can be used as a tool to express emotions that have been repressed or ignored in other areas of our life, such as work or school, where we may not feel comfortable expressing ourselves honestly because of institutionalised messages we receive about who has power and who doesn't. Through creativity, we not only have the opportunity to tell our stories, but we have the opportunity to get really meta and dig into the impulse behind normalised behaviours, where they come from, and even the motivation behind the impulse, and why we engage with it in the first place. We can explore the human condition in all its plural forms and create myths and fables that have lessons for future generations about how we can continue creating a better world.

Conclusion

Writer's block can be a frustrating, angering, and potentially even traumatising experience, but it doesn't have to be. If you feel like your writing is being blocked, take the time to turn inward. Step away from the doing of writing, and build a relationship with the being and thinking of writing. Centring your relationship with creativity is the first step in healing your relationship with writing. Take breaks, read and nap in the sun (with sun screen), dance—do everything but write--and you'll find that creativity will come knocking soon enough.