Today I’ll be exploring and writing with an intimate group in Write into Joy. The topic is creativity and the joy and strength it can be in our lives. Sometimes we feel blocked creatively … and sometimes we get stuck in other parts of our lives. They are similar feelings.
We all get stuck sometimes. We all get that feeling of not knowing how to move forward or make change or even decide what we really want. We can get stuck in a rut of how we’ve always done things or stuck feeling sorry for ourselves. Stuck isn’t a good feeling, but the good news is that there are ways of feeling unstuck.
Do you have go-to ways to get unstuck?
My first go-to is taking a walk. Getting outside into nature and moving really help me get unstuck. Something about walking helps my mind move into a different groove and stop ruminating on the same thing again and again. And then it can move on to a new creative solution or idea.
Sometimes I need to talk it out. Knowing the right people to talk to—the ones who will mostly listen and maybe ask clarifying questions—is important. Let people know you aren’t looking for solutions, but just need to talk things through. Often we know our own answers if we can just get out of the way to hear them.
And of course, I write. Writing is a great way to get unstuck. It’s a safe space to let out what is getting in your way and a place to explore possibilities. It can help to use questions or prompts to get you started, especially if you aren’t used to writing or journaling your way to clarity.
Try these writing prompts if you are feeling stuck:
- Feeling stuck is a mental thing, but often we feel things in our bodies too. What does feeling stuck feel like physically?
- When I am stuck I … It helps to …
(Notice what you tend to do when you feel stuck—do you sleep more, have trouble sleeping, eat lots of junk food, binge watch shows, exercise compulsively, avoid things … And also notice what helps you get out of feeling stuck) - Right now I’m feeling stuck because …
- What would it take to …
- What I really want …
Open a notebook to a blank page or just grab some paper. (You can do this on your computer, but sometimes handwriting is a different experience so you may want to experiment with both.) Choose one of the questions/prompts. Set a timer for 10-minutes and start writing. Keep writing until your timer goes off. You can write I don’t know or write the question/prompt again until words start to come. Let things come out onto the page even if they seem unrelated, you aren’t sure about them, or they surprise you. This is where the discovery comes in.
I’d love to know what you discover! You can always hit reply to share with me.
Melanie
P.S. Still feeling stuck? Click here to check out my Write Into Joy workshops to learn how to build resilience and joy through journaling & reflecting.