There comes a point in every artist's life where he or she is lacking the inspiration to accomplish the goals of art. For me, I gain the peace and inspiration to write from the environment around me. I could see something interesting, or hear a conversation, and be sparked into a fury of writing. At other times, I sit poised with my hands above the keyboard wondering why I am not doing something else. It is a little harder to fake it until you make it with poetry. I tend to want to seek that perfect inspiration...that one moment that becomes brilliantly clear and beautiful...before writing poetry.
But that's not realistic. It sounds wonderful. And what artist wouldn't want to have that type of inspiration every time they sat down with a writing utensil? Everyone of them would! That doesn't make an artist. What makes an artist is the ability to work through life's torments and trials to create something beautiful. To work through writer's block. To work without inspiration. It makes that "Ah-Ha" moment all the better.
I recently struggled with this mentality. The one where I wait for inspiration. It never works. I always sit and wait. If I held my breath, I would have died many, many times over. Life sometimes takes center stage. And it's okay! I do not have to be creating all the time, even if my brain goes a mile a minute. What I have to do is keep taking the steps toward accomplishing my goals through whatever obstacle that gets put in the way.
Including writer's block.
Perhaps writer's block is just an excuse that we use to take a break, but I am sure glad that, as a poet and a writer, I am working on evolving past inspiration based writing and focusing on being better. That is my advice to you. Do not seek inspiration. Seek clarity of life, and use how you feel, what you think, and what you experience as your guide to writing. It will never steer you wrong.
But that's not realistic. It sounds wonderful. And what artist wouldn't want to have that type of inspiration every time they sat down with a writing utensil? Everyone of them would! That doesn't make an artist. What makes an artist is the ability to work through life's torments and trials to create something beautiful. To work through writer's block. To work without inspiration. It makes that "Ah-Ha" moment all the better.
I recently struggled with this mentality. The one where I wait for inspiration. It never works. I always sit and wait. If I held my breath, I would have died many, many times over. Life sometimes takes center stage. And it's okay! I do not have to be creating all the time, even if my brain goes a mile a minute. What I have to do is keep taking the steps toward accomplishing my goals through whatever obstacle that gets put in the way.
Including writer's block.
Perhaps writer's block is just an excuse that we use to take a break, but I am sure glad that, as a poet and a writer, I am working on evolving past inspiration based writing and focusing on being better. That is my advice to you. Do not seek inspiration. Seek clarity of life, and use how you feel, what you think, and what you experience as your guide to writing. It will never steer you wrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment