My writing mojo seems to be on vacation lately.
Usually I don’t get too worked up if this happens for a day, a few days, a week or two. Sometimes after pouring out lots and lots of words, it’s best to stop and relax a while. To bake, spend time with friends, knit, watch a little fun TV, do something with my hands rather than always working with my brain. And, eventually, the sly muse comes slinking back, tiptoeing around the corner in her red shoes, offering a handful of ideas like bright pebbles she’s picked up in her ramblings elsewhere.
But lately she seems to be on a longer break, perhaps holed up in an Oxford bookshop or strolling along the Seine in a coat the color of smoke. (Of course – it figures – she usually runs off to the places I dream of running off to. And she’s invisible, you see, so she has the freedom to go wherever she likes, at will.)
Meanwhile, I’m stuck back here in the sometimes-dull routine of the daily 9-to-5, struggling to pick up the pen or bring myself back to the keyboard in a non-work context. I took a step back from daily blogging in January to free up some creative space, and while the muse and I spent a lot of time together those first weeks, I’m now scrambling for enough ideas to post three times a week. I’m reading lots of great books – fiction and memoir, young adult lit and nonfiction – and I’m still managing to turn out regular book reviews. But my mojo seems to have fled, taking most of my ideas with her. I can’t seem to start a longer project to save my life, and that nagging fear about not being a real writer is back with a vengeance.
Does this ever happen to you? And how do you coax your mojo back when it seems to disappear?
(Partly inspired by Sonia’s post about her knitting mojo, last month.)
cakes, tea and dreams 
Deadlines and accountability enforce mojo. If you have a publisher or writing group (or even just one person you’ve promised work to) or a writing contest deadline, you’ll be obligated to write even if you don’t feel like it.
I’ve found that doing different types of writing also helps. If I’m not feeling creative, I’ll work on a critical work. Soon enough, it will inspire me.
Ok, I’ll just put it all out there…this year when that happened to me I went on a mild anti-depressant. First time in my life I’ve had the winter blues (seasonal affected disorder) for so long that I couldn’t shake them. I gaff to work hard to not feel bad about needing the help, but it’s worked and it’s worth it. Planning on going off next month, since things have finally started looking up.
Great post! Ilove that you create a nomadic persona for your muse!
Writer’s block has happened to me periodically for years. After I went to grad school and got my novel/master’s thesis brutally rejected by 13 agents.
I couldn’t write for about two years.
Then I decided to completely switch genres. Now, happily, i’m publishing poetry and essays. I think that the muse won’t leave most of us alone, but needs to be channeled in different directions by making yourself write in a completely different genre or method than usual.
Another thing that always helped me is to switch location. I would leave home and write in cafes or central park. The absolute best thing in terms of keeping inspiration alive is travel. It awakens a drowsy muse like nothing else in this world.
As evidenced by the gaping 6-week hole in my blogging, my writing mojo has been on hiatus as well. However, I don’t think the creative juices are entirely gone…they’re just taking another form for a while. Pictures and graphics and painting and design have been much higher on my want-to-do list lately, and I’m trying not to fight against them…to let them have my attention this season. Even words are still very much in my life–I’ve been reading like crazy, and having tons of enlightening late-night discussions on spirituality and life…the output’s just not in the form of a blog post. I know you’re much more of a “real writer” than most people, and I certainly don’t think your writing mojo’s gone for good from your life. I think, while your mojo’s out meandering, you should feel free to run off to the places *you* dream of. And if you’re invisible (read: you don’t blog about it), give yourself some grace in this season.
What comes to mind, Katie, is that you’ve experienced a few losses and difficult situations in recent months. Those things have a way of making me curl up in to a ball and postpone most of my writing until I’ve had a chance to process on my own.
One thing that could be helpful is trying to participate in some of the writing prompts out there, such as 5 Minute Friday, Just Write, or Write It, Girl. Of course, there are a billion options but maybe having a regular day to write something would coax your muse back to the States, if not Boston.
I think Leigh hit the nail on the head…you’ve been through a lot recently, and sometimes the creative energy goes into hibernation while you process things. Give yourself a little time, do the things you most love to do, maybe try writing in a different location than usual.
Your lovely, poetic description of your muse certainly proves the writing mojo is still alive and well somewhere 🙂
Hugs.
Well, this explains everything. Obviously there is a Muse Convention in Europe somewhere. However, anyone who can describe the smoke-colored coat her muse is wearing while traipsing around the world should not worry one bit about her mojo being lost.
Awwww, sorry to hear that your muse is on vacation. (Must be nice for her.) I agree with the others – you’ve been through a lot and it’s not surprising that you’re experiencing a little creative exhaustion. Maybe a day to stroll around, drink tea and eat pastries, browse for books and snap photos would revive your spirit a bit? Feel better soon!
My precious Katie – you ARE a real writer. Don’t worry, I suspect your mojo will come back with a vengeance when she is ready. In the meantime, we have had a lot of emotional ups and downs lately (mostly downs) and maybe you just need to take a break and do something else completely different. Still creative, but different.
I find that giving myself permission to not have a blogging/writing/knitting schedule helps a bit. Like most things, mojo disappears at the first hint of feeling forced! She may come back when you least expect it!
[…] from a great distance. Struggling to write, in the wake of these griefs, sometimes terrified that my muse has deserted me, or that I’ll never write anything of significance. Missing faraway friends (though I am […]