Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Writers Block and Feeding the Soul


Off topic, but central to the essence of who I am, is my recent writer's block. Lately, I have been taking hundreds of photographs but have been struggling mightily with putting words on paper, or on screen as it were. It's as though I feel everything has been said before, and said better than I ever could manage. There are no words bubbling up from inside me, and I am not sure how to counteract this silence. Instead of producing original thoughts, I have been running about the countryside taking photos of things that already exist. I am the first to admit that I am a mediocre photographer, but I am learning and improving. I have a friend who is a professional, and she has been coaching me on exposure and composition and being in the right place at the right time. Believe me, that last one has an element of luck that just cannot be learned!


Of course, now that I have written the words, I can see the correlation between writer's block and dieter's block. (Yes, dieter.. for lack of a better term. Health-seeker sounds a bit lame.) I think there is an element of creativity in the perseverance required for the losing of weight and seeking of health. We have to constantly convince ourselves to keep on target. We also have to continually find new and exciting ways to keep ourselves engaged in the effort. Neither is easy. "Dieting" and writing both require a commitment that we must remember to nurture.

I have been feeding my soul with books, photos, and trips to the beach. Now I need to re-commit to feeding my body the most ideal foods. My agenda for the day? Shopping for produce, taking my camera to a place I haven't visited in a long time, and sitting on the beach with my notebook. Today feels like a new day for me. I wish that same sense of newness to all of you as well. Thanks for sticking with me through the past month!

No comments:

Post a Comment