Be kind to yourself

My book coach says there’s no such thing as writer’s block. There are things that get in your way, there are barriers, for sure. But something about the term “writer’s block” doesn’t work for her. Maybe it’s that it feels unfixable as opposed to digging into WHY you’ve hit a block and removing that barrier to free your words.

Regardless of what you call it – I hit a wall a few weeks ago. During the months of April and May, and even the first half of June, the work on my book was just flowing through my fingertips. I told myself there was no way it could continue that way, but success begot success and I was cranking away.

Just as success begets success, blocks produce more blocks. The first block came mid-June and with the guidance of my coach, I dove into what was causing it. I chalked it up to the chapter I was on. It was sort of a different genre than the other chapters, so that must have been what was giving me trouble.

I set up a new approach to accommodate the difference and I made it through that chapter. The next one came and I struggled to dive in. After a couple of days of avoidance, I reviewed my writing routine and “rituals” and noted that my amethyst pendant was broken, and I had worn it continuously from the beginning of the book project. I got a new one and lo and behold, the chapter flew through my fingertips. (This approach is marginally more justifiable than my husband changing his outfit when his favorite football team – American or European – is losing at halftime. Hey, whatever works, right?)

I’ve hit another wall, and it’s getting tiring. But I’m not giving up. The other thing I am trying to learn is to be kind to myself. I’m navigating a lot of changes, writing a book is not a simple task, and I have also been prioritizing visiting with out of town friends, taking care of an aging pet, and spending time with my family. Not everything has to go according to plan.

When I find myself thinking “great, another week and you didn’t do X,” I am trying to follow it up with “Yes, but you did Y.” Celebrating small wins, leaning into daily moments of joy – these are things I’m trying to work on.

So, whatever it is that is frustrating you this summer – be kind to yourself. Lean in to the why, maybe try a different approach, and most of all, recognize and name out loud what IS going well. I promise there is something to celebrate.