When the inspiration runs dry

Oh hello there writer's block, please take a seat.

Week three trillion of lockdown and I feel as though I am running low on inspiration. Not just for writing but for all other creative pursuits.

It’s almost as if sitting in the same chair every day, staring at the same screen, does not lend itself to out-of-this-world thinking.

There’s no harm in admitting defeat. In fact, it’s not defeat - it’s just a symptom of the times. I’m stupidly busy writing content for clients, finishing websites and pitching for new ones, running Linkedin training sessions via Zoom… and more.

Yet I still feel guilty for not pursuing creative pursuits in my “down-time”. Or tidying the house, or catching up with family, or doing anything of use during every available second of the day.

Sometimes there’s just nothing to say

I’m always harping on about how you can think of things to say on social media, on your blog, on your website, in your networking 60 seconds… but sometimes, there really is nothing to say.

Ironically, having nothing to say can spark ideas in itself - like this newsletter, which is essentially a load of words about how I have nothing to say.

So, whether you’re stacked with work, budding with ideas for Linkedin posts, or drowning in the mire of writer’s block, let’s not forget that it’s all okay.

I don’t just mean it’s okay because we’re living in unprecedented times, or it’s okay because you can’t open the doors of your business, or it’s okay because a loved one is sick… it’s always okay.

When life goes back to normal (or we find a new normal), remember it’s okay not to be running at 100% all the time, even if there isn’t a global pandemic restricting your every move.

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This week has been a good one for entertainment. The TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People hit small screens and I had to restrain myself to not watch the whole thing in one day. I read the book back when we lived in Sydney and, honestly, it’s one of my favourites of all time. Nothing kicks me in the feels more than tangible, impassioned and cathartic love stories like this (see also: Call Me By Your Name). If you love a good romance as much, check it out on the iPlayer.

The soundtrack to my work has hit new peaks this week with The Strokes first album for seven years quickly climbing the ranks of my best records of all time. Full of absolute bangers, Casablancas and crew must be one of the only bands to retain their intrinsic raw sound for nearly two decades, never diluting what makes them so great.

Another incredible album is Brian Fallon’s latest solo release: Local Honey. A record with just eight songs, the Gaslight Anthem frontman dishes out those Springsteen-style stories time and time again.

Books-wise, I’m taking a break from epic fantasy to devour Miracle Creek, a courtroom drama about the explosion of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber killing two of its patients. Sounds dark, and it is, but it also contains all the ingredients of a gripping ‘who-dun-it.’

What are you reading/watching/listening to? Tell me on Twitter @ContentByTheSea

Until next week - stay safe!

Ellen x