I started writing seven months ago, and sometimes I don’t know what to write. Luckily, I’m surrounded by exceptional creators on the internet who taught me I don’t need to write from nothing. I discovered four ways to go around writer’s block.
be a copycat
Your best starting point is to notice articles you like and copy elements that attract you. Things that you can copy includes the key idea, writing style, or even the structure. Add your own examples and paraphrase a few sentences to your liking so the work becomes original.
curate
Now that you know what you like, organize them and present it to your audience. Curating relieves you from creating, yet it counts as your own creation. You’re probably already doing this , like saving posts on Instagram. Do the same thing with articles, add your comments on it, and make it public.
summarize
Spent hours to read a book? You could highlight ideas that fascinates you or write the main ideas and share it to the world. You’ll save people time in their busy life, while helping your mind better process the information you’ve read.
collaborate
My favorite example is Nate, who has a newsletter called Plan Your Next. Every week, he has a featured guest section where he highlights entrepreneurs’ journey. He doesn’t need to come up with ideas, he sends the guest a google form with questions and let them fill it. After that, he only needs to edit the wording. He involves others, which helps build relationships, while reducing his own workload.
Although I’m using writing as an example, you can apply these to all kinds of artistic pursuits. Do you have other strategies to help you create?
