The Creative Block- every writer's nemesis

"My mind's blocked" are the words you often hear from writers when they run out of words. Be it poets, artists, storytellers, or copywriters (like me), everyone runs out of fuel. What causes it? Fear, exhaustion, stress, and also spending too much time on Netflix :p. It's when self-doubt kicks in and you ask yourself "Am I even good enough to be a writer?" The answer to that is YES YOU ARE, just give yourself some time and you'll be back on track.

But how do we get back on track? Well, there are a few ideas that have always helped me. But remember, overcoming this is all about your self-belief. If you think you're ready no block can stop you from getting back to business.

1) Peek into your past: No, not your past life, but your past work. Look how well you did things back then. Go through your best work which made you what you are today. Nothing can inspire you better than yourself! When I'm stuck, I always look back at my previous work and my mind reboots itself.

2) Peek at other people's work: Look how other writers do their job. Go through their writing style. Be it your favorite author or your fellow cow-worker, inspiration can be derived from anywhere. Step into their shoes and think about how they perceive things. Many times, a different perspective can help you take some weight off your mind.

3) Read, Read & Read: Book to a writer is what fuel to a car is. That's the reason we receive them as gifts on every occasion :p Just like the great Tyrion Lannister said "A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." A writer needs to read at least thrice more than what he or she writes. Pick your genre, choose your type, and make that a regular habit.

4) Escape from reality: Shut down your laptop, go take a walk in the park. Close your journal, take a long cat-nap. Do something that takes you off your creative zone. Sometimes you just need to disconnect to bring out the best in you.

5) Make notes, take lessons: Take every mental block as a lesson. Remember how you battled and it made you better. Make a note of things that helped you in the process so that the next time you come across your nemesis, you'll know what to do!

Do share your methods of curing the creative block.