10 Timeless Quotes to Combat Writer's Block & Other Work Life Maladies

I've been suffering from writer's block.

I've never experienced this state of mind personally, so my tool kit to combat it isn't fully built. The experience could be the cumulative result of so many factors; the pandemic, family challenges/changes and my own evolution. On some level, I view this "forced hiatus" as necessary. A required break. A brick wall secretly erected to deflect my path. Somewhere, in the recesses of my unconscious, change is afoot.

I believe there is a reason for all of this — and resolution will come.

You may be experiencing your own form of "writer's block". It may manifest as a lack of passion for your work, a nagging sensation of restlessness or the feeling that everyone and everything at work annoys you. I view this as valuable information to be processed and utilized. It can be the fuel for needed change. I don't think any of us has been immune to the passage of history we have just experienced. You may be feeling the impact in this moment.

In the scheme of things, writer's block may not rank highly in the field of life's problems — but it is indeed real. So, rather than being absent on this channel, I'd like to share a few strategies for moving beyond this frozen inflection point.

These are a few of the quotes that seem to melt the icy path toward my keyboard. They explore topics such as creativity, the notion of a muse & why our work is vital to us. (Hopefully, topics for future posts.)

As always, respecting our core is vital. So, each of the following bits of advice addresses some part of our work life foundation. The first reinforces my philosophy that self-knowledge & respecting our individual differences is key at work. The last, that there is always something to be discovered and shared with others.

Please share your favorite quote in comments & what it means to you, whether or not it is one that I've shared. Looking forward to the conversation.

1. No one is you, and that is your power. - Dave Grohl.
2. Wherever you stand, be the soul of that place. - Rumi
3. I am my own muse, the subject I know best. - Frida Kahlo
4. A line is a dot, that went for a walk. - Paul Klee
5. There is nothing so stable as change. - Bob Dylan
6. The good life is a process, not a state of being. - Carl Rogers
7. It is never too late, to be what you might have been. - George Eliot
8. Love and work are the cornerstones of humanness. - Sigmund Freud
9. If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. - Lao Tzu
10. Somewhere something incredible, is waiting to be known. - Sharon Begley

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist and a charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer Program. She is the co-founder of Goba — a consulting practice that helps people & organizations build stronger work life foundations through the practice of core stability. Her thoughts on work & organizations have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, BBC Work Life, Quartz and The Huffington Post.