Do you ever suffer from procrastination, feeling stuck, resistance or “writer’s block” when you intend to write?
The more we label and fight these experiences, the more entrenched they tend to become.
Have you ever tried a counterintuitive approach to creative resistance:
- Curiosity: What might be behind this experience?
- Wonder: “I wonder what this resistance is trying to tell me? What message does it have for me? What can I learn here?
- Empowerment: “Wow, this is a strong resistance. There must be a lot of power behind my work, or I wouldn’t find it threatening or scary.”
- Gratitude: “What an interesting opportunity for healing/personal growth this resistance is offering me.”
You might befriend the resistance: journal a dialogue with it. See what arises emotionally, intellectually, spiritually.
Creating spaciousness to write with ease
You can also shift your focus just a few degrees and create spaciousness around your writing process. What happens when you sit down to write and begin with gratitude, observing that you just created space for writing:
- How does that feel in your body?
- Can you thank yourself for creating this space?
- Can you recognize the precious nature of every time you sit down (or sprawl on the living room floor, or lie in bed) to write? Every time you make space in your routine or calendar?
I
n a writing class the other day, playing with the idea of creative resistance, I wrote this:
Resistance is the beginning of a great adventure.
I played with that a bit and ended up with the phrase you see to the left here.
Write, starting with the resistance. Open the door to the resistance and see what’s behind the door, what’s inside the room? What else do you see as you explore?
Share your experiences in the comments! Or share what works for you when you get stuck!
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