As a humanities double major, I’m writing all the time, or I should be writing all the time. I’ve got at least a paper a week, I write weekly on this website and, when I have free time, I also blog. Aside from that, I’m also surrounded by books all the time – both in my room and at the bookstore where I work. Words surround me all the time, yet I’ve been feeling uninspired lately. This past week or so, I’ve barely written. Goodreads updates? They can wait. Journaling? Nonexistent. Papers? Don’t know her. Writing is so intricately tied to my identity, and this writer’s block has left me feeling pretty down. As I emerge from my writer’s block, I’m realizing that my writer’s block wasn’t an indication of my skill, but rather an indication of my exhaustion.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it: this semester has been exhausting, and it’s only October. Not only do I have all the responsibilities of last year, which I eventually juggled with relative ease, but I have added expectations as well. I now work part-time, three times a week, which takes a huge chunk of my weekend, as well as the time I used to reserve for homework and relaxation, and I live off-campus. Don’t get me wrong; I love the freedom and sense of independence that comes with living off-campus, but I didn’t realize there was a whole slew of responsibilities, like timing the bus system, making all my meals, fixing the little problems of the apartment and so on. Just looking at my to-do list exhausts me, let alone actually completing the tasks. Instead of looking at writing as self-expression and a way to relax, I began to look at it as just another responsibility on my expanding list.
When you get writer’s block – yes, it’ll happen to you too – don’t feel bad about yourself. I was uninspired, and, instead of dwelling on it, I just shifted my productivity to something else, like cleaning my room or taking some time for myself. Now we’re in a new week, and although it was still a bit hard to find my words for this article and the paper I started last night, I wrote something. It might not be my best work, but not everything we write has to be revolutionary. As the title suggests, writer’s block doesn’t mean you are a bad writer; it’s probably just a consequence of a broader issue. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your writer’s block; the words will come back to you. At least, they’re slowly coming back to me.