Are the words not coming to you? Is the blank monitor staring you down and filling you with dread? Have you been beaten upside the head by your writer's block?
The solution could be as simple as changing your scenery. Just get up and take your business elsewhere.
You see, if you are like most copywriters or marketers, you spend your days couped up in a cubicle or home office. You're surrounded by the same four walls day in and day out.
The decor you so carefully arranged for inspiration now saps away every last bit of it. The computer you once loved now robs you of the will to write. The temptation to waste time on unprofitable behavior becomes too strong to resist. It happens to the best of us. Familiarity breeds contempt.
But that's the joy of being a writer. You can do this from almost anywhere. We just forget to sometimes because we associate work with being in a work environment. But the two do not need to go hand in hand.
If you have a laptop computer, you can write from virtually anywhere. And if you don't have a laptop, that's no excuse -- you'd be pleasantly surprised at what happens when you put pen to paper. The words can really start to flow when you remove word processing and the ability to constantly edit yourself from the equation.
So where should you go? The short answer is anywhere, really. If the weather permits, take a chair outside and start writing. Or go on a hike and write in the Great Outdoors, away from the hectic pace of your daily life. The fresh air and scenery will work wonders on your creativity.
If you have the option, pull up a chair at a Starbucks or a coffee house of your liking. The ambiance and decor can quickly get your creative juices flowing. And the positive energy that comes having other happy people around you can work wonders on your spirits. (I haven't been there is a few years, but I don't remember the corporate environment being necessarily full of happy people with positive energy.)
Most places have Wi-Fi access so you can stay connected online if you need to. But don't rule out the pleasure that comes with disconnecting entirely for a few hours. When you can't get onto the Internet or check your email, you can't get distracted by the Internet or email.
The key is to change up your routine and find inspiration when you need it most. Writing is a visual activity: it involves a lot of looking around while you come up with the right words. If you look up and see the same four walls over and over again, you won't feel too inspired.
But if you look up and see a fresh environment—whether it's the colors and artwork on the wall, the smell of fresh food, or the hustle and bussle on a busy sidewalk—you'll find that the words start coming to you at a rapid pace.
And then you can put that writer's block back in the closet, where it belongs.
(How do I know this? For starters, I wrote this entry while enjoying a vanilla latte at Le Boulanger. I would have never gotten around to it had I stayed in the office today!)
Last summer I read Michael Port's bestseller "Book Yourself Solid" and I can't say enough about what a great book this is for any entrepreneur or small business owner. In fact, I'd put it up there with required reading for anyone who falls into those categories.
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