How Consuming Content Helps Me Get Over Writer’s Block

I do not muse about having a magical muse either

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

I was reading Ayodeji Awosika’s article, How I Write Up to 5,000 Words Per Day, and came across this line:

“They [the prolific writer] make time in their day to foster creativity because they realize inspiration is for suckers.”

I thought about this. In my thorough reflection, the harsh judge that I am about myself reached this verdict:

I’m found guilty on all accounts of being a habitual time waster.

Why is that? Since I have pursued writing semi-seriously for the past decade, I spend a great deal of time wasting time awaiting the elusive muse riding on a unicorn to show up.

Guess what? It never happens.

But here’s what does happen: my writing rides the highs and lows of my emotional wellbeing.

If I am experiencing an emotional euphoria on Monday (usually charged by a straight black cup of coffee), then my production is cranked 100.

And I’m not just talking about hitting some idealistic word count.

I mean the figurative language and humor is literally on point blending into the topic perfectly without being a distraction to the reader. That’s a productive day for me.

Yet, let me get engulfed in a wave of insecurity and I am pumping out lines not even qualified for a children’s book.

So…What Changed?

I asked this question: how can I consistently hit those emotional highs, coffee be damned?

While reading Mr. Awosika’s article, the answer arrived like a train ready to pick up a lost love.

When I read or watch a video, whether I agree or disagree with the content, I will produce a lengthy response.

That’s it.

The process is simple really. Rather than leave some shallow comment on the creators (writer here on Medium, video creator on YouTube, etc.) content, I will simply draft out my response on my iPhone Notes app or even a sheet of paper. If the response is valid enough to be it’s own article or…