Writer's Block is Your Friend.

I think we've all been there: there you are cruising along on a project, kicking butt like Swayze in Roadhouse when BAM...you have no idea what comes next. What happened? You were doing so well! Now you can't think of the next word, let alone how to finish the accursed thing. Good news my friends, this is one of the best things that can happen to you.

The Cause: To effectively use writers block as a tool, we must get an idea of why you have it. There are usually one of two causes.

A) You do not understand your project as well as you thought you did. When it gets down to it, you have to know what you are writing inside and out. If its a story, you should understand every aspect of your characters, from their history to their quirks, to their preferences in music. If you are writing a song then you need to know what you are trying to say to people (because all good art is about communication) and then, more importantly, figure out why you are trying to say it. If its an ad, then you better know the brand better than the CEO and the audience better than their mothers. Bottom line: to thine own work be true.

B) There is not enough stuff in your brain. The creative mind thrives on, for lack of a better word, stuff. A smart person is hungry not just for knowledge, but for random, interesting, insignificant bits of information. The problem is people like to stick to what they know, and if you are never putting new stuff into your brain, than you can't expect to get anything new out of it. This is particularly true about the music industry. This is why we still get rap songs involving nothing but alcohol, women, and cars and country songs about nothing but alcohol, women, and trucks. Yes, I'm exaggerating but I think you see my point. Let's push some boundaries people.

The Solution: Fortunately, whether you fall victim to Cause A or Cause B, the solution is the same. Get away from your computer/desk/notepad and fill your brain with stuff. Use your own judgement as to what kind of stuff, but don't be afraid to go totally off the wall. The best ideas are ones that totally come from left field (why not right field? Just a thought). Don't just arbitrarily go and do something random just for the sake of doing it though. Catalogue what you see and learn, file it away, learn how it ticks. It is by understanding the world around us that we are able to pull all those chaotic bits together and make something that is unique and hopefully someone else wants to read.

Lastly, I have officially kept up with updates for a week. I was worried this was going to be one of those things I started but forgot all about, but who knows...looks like this might be a regular gig.

Same time(ish) Sunday.