Crushing a Creative Block
Rev up those creative juices
Despite my numerous pieces on Medium, I’ve been in a creative slump for several months. The slump began in May of this year. It was around the time my principal yelled at me over Zoom and basically called me stupid. The Literacy Coach, who was also at the meeting, didn’t say a word in my defense. I was angry and heartbroken. I had worked so hard to engage students and kept running into apathy and lack of motivation. Yet, I was blamed for the majority of students failing and received a negative on my evaluation.
So my focus shifted from my creative practice to saving my teaching career. In addition, I was receiving a lot of rejections from about May to now. Acceptances were few and far between. I think I’ve gotten two since May. My ego was taking a beating and I couldn’t wrap my mind around perfecting my work.
Grief played a role too. It’s been four years since my mother passed. While I’m in a different stage of the grief process, the pain of losing her is still strong. It especially gets hard when I see commercials from Dana Farber talking about new cancer treatments. Where were these treatments four years ago? I then go into my woulda, shoulda, coulda mindset. I wish I had taken my mother to a different hospital than Boston Medical Center. That hospital takes more lives than it saves!
But now, it’s October and I need to get it together. I’ve been getting a lot of attention for my essays on Medium. So, in between the poetry rejection, opportunities to publish my essays have increased. I’m excited to get my essays in front of more eyes. But I know my feelings around my work are slowing down the process.
Depression is a bitch. It’s an emotional hurricane within my mind and body. My heart gets battered and it weakens my resolve. But I know that better times will come. I know that joy is going to enter my life. I want to be happy and not feel guilty about being happy.
But how to restore my creative juices? For writers going through similar issues, the best advice I can give is to go one day at a time. Focus on one genre of writing. Today, I’m going to focus on my essays. I’m going to study the craft, look at examples, and read prompts. Then, I’m going to write and write and write. Even if I only write a few hundred words, it’s still writing.
That’s what I suggest for any creative in a slump. Break the block by taking baby steps. Focus on one thing in your craft. You don’t have to worry about contests or competitions or deadlines. Just do your craft. I think that’s been part of my problem, trying to gain recognition instead of working on my skills. My only competition, your only competition, is yourself.
Finally, get outside. It’s Autumn. Reconnect with nature. Take a walk. Breathe in some fresh air. Let the sun warm your face. Let a breeze caress your skin. Smile. Laugh. Say hello to someone. Make a new friend today. Do something that brings you joy.
Relax. The slump will end. The block will break. The rejections will become acceptances. Believe it. Let that belief be your light through the darkness.
