Whether it is an academic paper, article for a newspaper or website or even a short text for a weekly blog, writer's block can strike. I'm sure that you realise that when I sit down to write my blog for every Friday I don't have a plan of what I'm going to talk about, I just sit down and write whatever I feel like writing about.
Usually I don't have any problems with finding a topic and just going for it. I do a little research, maybe read a few articles and off I go, writing ill informed rants about anything and everything. This week is somewhat different.
It isn't like I have things on my mind which are stopping me, after a number of weeks of poor time management where my PhD work has been neglected and ignored I now have the situation under control. Getting cracking with lots of work this week, I've written two introductions for research papers, started building a website for my research data collection and even updated my academic website for the first time in a long time. So surely I should be in a better position to write something than in previous weeks.
Wait, I'm blogging right now! Maybe I don't have writer's block after all but it won't stop me talking about it.
The problem I find is that sometimes I find it hard to decide on what to write about, there are almost limitless possibilities and topics to cover. I want to keep it quite general as I don't want to put people off by talking about my research every week or blogging about statistical analysis of data sets. I like to discuss topics which everyone will relate to and enjoy (with the exception of the week I wrote about golf, I enjoy it but I understand other people don't).
Another thing which you may not know is I write articles for this blog which never quite make it, I wrote about politics a few weeks back but it is still in the drafts folder, I don't think it will ever make it into the blog, although it is nice to have a backup. After the week I was going to Essex on a Friday I rushed to get something out, so now I write the blog about a week in advance, for example I'm about to go to get a haircut but by the time this is online the haircut will be a week old. I think I've kind of left my topic slightly now, I'll try to get back...
I have been experiencing musical writers block for over a year now, I simply can't write any music which I enjoy. I write something, play it, enjoy it for a minute or two then delete the lot and tell myself it was crap and I'd be better off leaving it for today. I don't know how to solve it, I think it started when I lost some classical compositions I'd been working on (folder deleted in a hard-drive clear out), I lost all interest in writing then. I didn't even try to write anything for months and now I can't get back into it. Thankfully I have been able to put my energy into writing words not music, the same thing happened with drawing and painting but I put that down to the fact that I draw best when I'm bored, ergo if I find myself in a boring job or waiting in the car for someone I'll happily draw but I shouldn't try to draw.
I also think I'm quite easily distracted which I sometimes interpret as writer's block when in actual fact it is just distraction. For example, whilst writing this I have the cricket on, England are 144 for 3 against Bangladesh. I keep stopping writing to watch.
I think I've done quite well considering I thought I had writer's block... Although the quality of what is written may be a little sketchy.
Quote of the week!
"Do you want to buy a battleship?"
Hiya Davey :-)
ReplyDeleteFor years, I got my Dad to finish my GCSE/A Level etc compositions for me!
It is only since starting to open up to spiritual stuff that I have found my own missing link.
There are lots of things in this area eg. one lady believed that the ghosts of composers came back from the dead and gave her new compositions
I had similar experiences but then decided they weren't ghosts, they were lying to me, lol and were actually spirit guides or aliens or whatever - and are the source of our healing inspiration, muse, etc in all subjects.
So now whenever I hear a tune in my head or see an image about someone when I'm talking to them, or see an idea for a picture, I pay massive attention to it and interpret its meaning, because I believe it's a special gift, to be interpreted by me in my own special way, to assist my healing and development, and life path.
I'm obviously not trying to convert anyone here but this is my own story to share anyway!
This is what I was gonna put as a commentary to your thesis - my own experience of what it is that makes me choose a certain song might include the following:
1. Someone recommends it:
In my life I have rarely followed others' recommendations. I have been generally the kind of person that mistrusts others' opinions and likes to be very centred in my own opinions and beliefs. So I might be less likely to pay attention to a review. But saying that, I have noticed that I am influenced by negative descriptions of things in writing.
Can you choose participants based on personality types? (Easily influenced by others, and those more resilient and independent?)
2. The spirit guides whisper a song in my ear or put it in my head, or somehow, whether divinely or by coincidence, a song comes on the radio, tv etc. that carries an important message for me. So if I feel drawn to a particular song, I ask myself why that is and what message it carries for me, in the lyrics, in its overall mood, instrumentation, anything.
3. I do believe that we are drawn to songs that can heal us in some way, just like we are drawn to people who can heal us in some way. Sometimes the healing can take place with a song that echoes our negative states of being, (the listener feels they have a sympathetic ear, a friend in the same boat, etc) and sometimes, a positive song can be more helpful to us, uplifting rather than echoing.
Of course there are many shades inbetween but this is me trying to put things succinctly and simply. (Not easy for waffly old me!)
What do you fink? :-)
I hope you find a lovely creative inspiration Davey because you have the most beautiful, clear visions. I remember when we first met and you were colouring in Georgia O'Keeffe with oil pastels? Oh so beautifully - you really enjoyed the richness of the colour, and I think the darkish subject matter (wasn't it an animal skull you chose for one study?)
You are an incredibly artistic person, you love your material objects, you used to buy such lovely ornaments for me, ahem and your dress sense is so unique and carefully chosen so I think that however you express it in your life, you are an innate artist. So there.
Lots of love xxxx