I’m Uninspired
If you’re a songwriter you have likely experienceed at least once, a moment of writer’s block or lack of inspiration. Most of us have experienced this at one time or another. How do you break free back into the joy of creative flow? There are few techniques that can help with that dry spell.
Make the World Go Away
Sometimes its just a matter of getting the world’s distractions off our backs. There is a lot of things that are constantly vieing for our attention. Its up to us to take control of that and make the world go silent. Take a long break from constant scrolling on social media, go for a long walk, read a book that you can hold in your hand, and don’t listen to other people’s music for a while. These are just some of the things you can do to refresh your creativity. The key is to RELAX! Let go of pressures.
I’ve TRIED all of that and I’m still blocked.
You may need to do it a bit longer! But if you are under time constraints like needing to meet a deadline to record an album, or meet any other deadline, there is one powerful trick you can use to open the creative flow. It is called Proprioceptive Writing. I will explain how this writing method works and can be used as a tool to get rid of the mental junk that sometimes piles up and squeezes our creative resources.
Proprioceptive Writing Method
This may sound like it doesn’t work, but it’s a very powerful tool. Get yourself some Bach music. You can grab it online for free. Find a comfortable and relaxed spot with a pen and a paper. Make sure you have a wax candle in front of you. A dimly lit room is the best but its ok in daylight as well. Make sure there are no distractions around you so make sure you don’t have your phone near you. You will need a timer that doesn’t distract you. Set the timer for 8 minutes, light your candle, start your music on low, and begin to write.
Now this writing is very specific. You do not lift your pen from the paper. You are always flowing so this means you don’t use capital letters or punctuation. You don’t have a subject. You just write in flow for the 8 minute period. Don’t try and think just ramble without sentence structure. You aren’t creating a work of art (although a gold mine may appear), you are opening space by removing boundaries we build up daily in our outines.
Once your timer goes off, lift the pen and quit. You don’t have to finish. You just stop. Blow out your candle and continue with your day. Not only will this method assist you in removing creative blocks, it’s also a very cool way to regulate your blood pressure! If you would like more information on the research of this writing, you can access extra points online. The links are below to help you get started. Find the way that works for you. Happy researching!
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19463909
Carla Bonnell is a Canadian writer, journalist, and recording artist based in New Brunswick. She is the lead vocalist and songwriter for Engage.