Writer’s block has incredible timing.
It rarely arrives when I’m folding laundry, sitting in traffic, or trying to fall asleep. Those are the moments when ideas seem to appear everywhere. Give me a quiet room, a cup of coffee, and two uninterrupted hours specifically set aside to write, though, and suddenly my brain has absolutely nothing to say.
Not one lyric.
Not one clever idea.
Apparently, creativity enjoys being difficult.
After years of writing songs, I wish I could tell you I’ve discovered the secret formula for eliminating writer’s block forever. I haven’t. What I have learned is that staring angrily at a blank page rarely scares it into cooperating.
A few other tricks work much better.
Write Something Terrible
This may be my favorite piece of writing advice because the expectations are wonderfully low.
When I’m stuck, I give myself permission to write something bad. A terrible lyric. A ridiculous rhyme. A verse I know will never survive until tomorrow.
The funny thing is that once words start appearing, better ones usually follow.
Perfectionism loves a blank page because nothing on it can be criticized. Creativity needs something messier. Sometimes you have to write the line that makes you cringe before finding the one that makes you smile.
Leave the Room
There comes a point when continuing to stare at the same four words becomes less like songwriting and more like a hostage situation.
That’s usually my cue to get up.
I’ll take a walk, make dinner, drive somewhere, or do something completely unrelated to music. Somehow, giving my brain another job allows it to keep working quietly in the background.
Then, naturally, the perfect line arrives when my hands are covered in dish soap and there’s no notebook anywhere nearby.
Creativity has a sense of humor.
Change What You’re Listening To
Music inspires music, but sometimes we get stuck listening to the same sounds, artists, and styles.
When my imagination feels tired, I’ll listen to something different. Maybe it’s an artist I haven’t heard in years. Maybe it’s a genre I wouldn’t normally choose. I might even turn the music off completely and listen to conversations, birds, traffic, or whatever else is happening around me.
Inspiration doesn’t always announce itself as inspiration.
A phrase someone says at the grocery store can become a lyric. A memory can suddenly become a story. One unusual word can open an entire door.
The trick is staying curious enough to notice.
Stop Waiting to Feel Inspired
This one took me years to learn.
I used to imagine inspiration as something that arrived dramatically, almost like lightning. Sometimes it does. Those moments are wonderful.
Most of the time, though, creativity shows up after I’ve already started working.
That’s why I try to sit down and write even when I don’t feel particularly inspired. I may produce nothing useful that day, but I’ve kept the door open.
Eventually, something walks through it.
Remember Why You Started
When writing becomes frustrating, I try to return to the reason I loved it before anybody heard the results.
Writing gives me somewhere to put thoughts, emotions, stories, questions, and experiences that otherwise might stay bottled up. Songwriting lets me take something personal and turn it into something another person might recognize in their own life.
That’s still pretty amazing.
And maybe that’s what I need to remember most. Writer’s block doesn’t mean I’ve run out of things to say. Sometimes the words are simply taking the scenic route.
So when writer’s block visits, I try not to panic anymore. I write badly. I walk away. I listen differently. I make coffee. I come back.
And if none of that works, I fold laundry.
For some reason, that’s usually when the chorus shows up.
