Last week was brutal. I was hit with a case of writer’s block; the horrifying feeling of having nothing to write about. Day after day I searched my mind for scraps, something, anything to blog. I would have settled for a half baked topic to keep me in the flow, but nothing came! A whole week passed and zip, zilch, nada! My mind was blank as newly waxed limbs.

My usual tricks to spark my creativity left me high and dry. I went for long sweaty 99 plus degree walks. This almost always works. Getting in nature and silencing my mind and cell phone, gets my creative juices flowing. This is my number one go-to for inspiration. Each walk left me empty-handed and slightly dehydrated.

Next, I turned to listen to some of my favorites, tell it like it is, pod-casters. This is a strong second in helping me churn out great content. My method is to listen carefully to a topic and hone in with the intent of applying my unique angle or take on that topic in article format. I also listen for “tiny gems” or bits of wisdom said in passing.

These gems can become a whole new spin-off for me. They have the potential to become the backbone of a future article’s theme. I expand these gems with supporting details, pros and cons, and quotes from great literature and suddenly, a new article is born.

I do the same when I am reading a captivating book. I pull out a concept I believe can be developed into a great blog or opinion piece. I add in a dash of opinion and pinch of perspective and, WALA! Fresh writing hot off the press!

These tricks of the trade usually work for me. Unfortunately, they failed to break through my writer’s prison.

So, here we are.  A new week and an unplanned topic, When Your Writing Flow Dries Up. It wasn’t the article I planned to write about. That is the beauty of the pen. It writes the ebbs and flows of the creator’s mind. Currently, my mind is devoid of a palpable topic. I’m not going to let that stop me. My goal is simply to keep writing.

Some writing days are messy and flawed. Other days are peaceful streams of ideas. And still, others are droughts and dried up concepts. All of it hails from the same river, same writer, same pen. In the meantime, I’ll wait for new inspiration, like falling rain. I kept my commitment to keep writing, even though I had to write about having nothing to write about.