In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, when the wizard Saruman, wears robes “woven of all colors” because he has fallen from the path of the wise, Gandalf (the Grey) says, “I liked white better.” This is Saruman’s reply:
“White!” he sneered. “It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken.”
Now here’s the thing for me a writer. Saruman is clearly evil here, because he is saying the white page can be overwritten like it’s a bad thing.
For me as a writer, constantly trying to produce, this is definitely not a bad thing. So this past week struggling to come up with blog posts, I have tried a variety of things, but today I actually just broke down and turned to Google Images to find pictures to express how I feel: tired, afraid, studious, interrupted. Clearly Person of Interest (and a little bit of Angel) are helping me out here.
Then I went and found pictures about how I want to feel: badass.
Well, it must have worked, because what we have here, children, is a blog post.
buildingapoem 
Mmmmm… I am reflective now. I have allus looked at images to help me sort my insides out. Magazines when I was lil, Life, Look, National Geographic, Redbook, Good Housekeeping. And more…
It’s a natural thing for me now, Tumblr, Pinterist, Google Images…
Welcome to the slums LOLOL 😂
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Normally I have always just rearranged my bookcase. Welcome to the 21st century.
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Oh, you are totally badassed.
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Whoa, what a kick-starter you employ. A deadline is good for knocking out my writer’s block. Procrastination helps it along.
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Do you mean procrastination makes you write more or less? I have a lot of thoughts about procrastination as my day jobs are with writers, so it is a major topic of my work with them. Tell me more!
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Oh, sorry. I meant that procrastination helps my writer’s block as in it makes it worse. When I procrastinate I don’t write. Maybe I can explain this better. When I am unsure what to write, I might troll the Internet (procrastinate), which always puts me onto tangents and then an hour or more will go by and BOOM! I haven’t written a thing. So for me procrastination cause a block. It’s like walking the dog or playing with the cats (“for their sake,” but I’m really procrastinating), and again nothing gets done, except some exercise for me and the pets.
With a real writer’s block, not caused by procrastinating, if a deadline looms or just blocked, I put my but in a chair and push through because it (deadline), must get done. When there is no deadline looming and I’m blocked I do the time tested technique of just writing for five minutes without lifting the pen (yes on paper) and no censoring my thoughts. Sometimes it will show me what the problem is, other times it gives me ideas. Once is a time, I get both, which is wonderful, but rare. Sometimes I think my problem is thinking too much.
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Can I use this in my blog, with or without your name as you prefer, to address the things you talk about? This is a very big part of what I do in my day jobs.
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Sure, either way is fine. I don’t need the publicity, but it would be okay, also. Do what works best for you. You have my permission to “steal” it if you wish. 🙂
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Maybe you could do some editing?? “. . . procrastination cause a block” should read “causes” and “Once in a time” should read “once in a while.”
No matter what, the big thing about procrastination is putting thy butt in thy seat and write, anything, just to get going. Or, and I forgot this important one, sometimes I will doodle or turn a picture upside down and then try to draw it (because upside down you only see shapes, not a finished piece and it really is easier to draw). All of this gets me into my creative right side of the brain. (I’m not an artist). Hope this helps.
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Great! Thank you!
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May I infer from your title and inclusion of the ever-adorable Fred that you appreciate, as my partner-de-domicile and I do, the writings of a certain Joss Whedon? 😉 Delightful post. Clearly you are more than capable of moving right on through any blocks in your path. Hurray!! Happy marching into March!
xo,
Kathryn
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Hey, art student, do you like Monet? Duh. Whedonista to the core.
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You just made my week.
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Well, that was ridiculously simple. Contact me next Tuesday and let’s see if I can do it again!
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