It finally happened to me.
It snuck up to some extent.
One minute everything flowing non-stop. The next the tap seemingly turned off.
I've run out of ideas.
For the first year of my writing mission, I found it easy to generate ideas into stories. I had a goal, an intention and I was motivated to build evidence that I had more to create in this world than I had done in the past.
But honeymoon periods don't just apply to new romantic endeavours. They apply in many facets of our lives.
“The new job is pretty good.” Morphs over time into... “I am getting sick of this shitshow.”
“I love my new car!” Becomes... “This is costing me a fortune in repayments. I had an anxiety attack when someone backed into it in a car park.”
“This neighbourhood is wonderful!” Turns into... “Every third house is a drug dealer.”
The sparkle, unfortunately, wears off even the shiniest diamond over time.
Inspiration gets you to the starting line. Motivation will fuel your initial forays. When that eventually fades, then what next?
I've started to write on a number of occasions over the past couple of weeks. I could say that I've been busy and that might have some truth to it. I've also been a bit unmotivated to write.
I'll start writing something, a question or idea, but there is no flow. It's easy to be distracted. I've watched twelve one hour long episodes of a new TV show that has me hooked on a series for the first time in years.
The shiny new distraction has been enough to derail my best intentions. On at least three occasions I've watched the TV show when I normally would be putting some ideas into legible words.
The initial ideas are still bubbling up, but rather than developing them, they have fizzled out like flat, warm soda.
I look at my notepad and there is no fleshed out and finished idea. Instead there are dozens of pieces of ideas - all staring out at me to be worked on.
Like in The Simpson's episode where Mr Burns couldn't get sick because he had every disease competing to kill him at the same time, my ideas are all competing for some attention and receiving none.
I suppose there hasn't been a lack of ideas - they are in prolific abundance everywhere. It is more a case of a lack of motivation and focus.
When you start a creative endeavour, the imposter in you worries that yeah, you might have a handful of different stories to write about, but then they will just dry up.
The opposite is the truth.
The more you create, the more ideas that will flow. The more you say yes, the more output you will know.
Oh, The Thinks You Can Think by Dr Seuss epitomises this concept. It's a joy to read to children with imagination of new ideas and unique concepts dripping from every page.
We can never run out of new things to create. We are all creators at heart. Sure, we can run out of inspiration and motivation over time once the new car smell has worn off and distractions abound.
With this knowledge I see it as my duty to blunt force my natural human laziness and keep on throwing pieces of creativity out into the ether.
Ideas are limitless.
Creativity knows no bounds.
It's up to us to get back into flow when it's lost.
We never run out of ideas.
The key is to continually focus attention…
and take action.
I have unfinished drafts from the last few weeks. It just hasn't been flowing. If I start cleaning closets or organizing the garage, I'll know it's really bad!
I get it T! I came in so hot with ideas to plan the new units for my classes under the NCEA reforms and now I’ve hit a wall. All ideas are gone. Feel like I’ve used them all up! Which can’t be the case you know how much I got going on in my head. I think you’ve gotta step back a bit and look from different perspectives, in my case anyway. Thanks for the thought provoking piece my friend☺️❤️