jumpstart: 3 ways to unblock yourself

Dear you,

There was a point in my life when I couldn't create. I couldn't create new content, posts, or even execute ideas. I don't think it was because I didn't have ideas; I think it was more like execution paralysis. I had ideas, but I was too hard on myself, so I did not execute those ideas. Instead, I kept thinking those ideas sucked. Most creators would call this - writers’ block or a block of some kind.

I came across a video by Seth Godin, a man who wrote blog posts every single day. I think he has done it for ten years in total now. In the video, he said, "I don't believe in writers’ block. Talker's block doesn't exist, so why should we have writers’ block?" He explained how this could often be caused by how critical we are of ourselves and how we think the world would perceive the "art" we are putting into the world.

At that moment, I had a conversation with myself, and I realised that my block was truly caused by me. I was putting too much pressure on myself to create outstanding work every time, and somehow I forgot that my work was not only about me. It was also about you, creating for you. Sometimes you forget too that your work is not about you alone but also about the person's life you make better when they encounter your work.

If you are experiencing any block of any kind, these three solutions have worked for me and may work for you too. The solutions I share here were suggested in books, videos and different items I found while searching for answers. However, these were my best three, and they worked for me.

1. Create something that sucks on purpose: I learned this one from Austin Kleon. When we create, we are always worried or riddled with fear because we are scared of making something that sucks. We don't want people to laugh at us. We don't want the metrics of likes and comments to remind us that people did not like it. However, if we create with the sheer intention of putting our best effort into something that sucks, we take ourselves back to the moment when we were kids. When we played with sand and drew for the sake of drawing or cooked sand meals with any weed we could find, in tin containers and acted our movies from the figment of our imagination or invented our games. Not with the intention of winning or making something excellent but just to enjoy ourselves, the process and discover new things. We did it to laugh heartily and keep ourselves entertained. At that moment, it was not about the world and what they thought; it was about the process - the process that births magic. You never know what would go viral or not. Sometimes the work you give your best to will not get "popularity votes" of likes but the one you think sucks, might go viral. Either way, create something that sucks on purpose that way you focus on the process not the result + you judge yourself less. It frees you and inspires you to create, even for the world.
2. Teach someone or a few people what you know: It is incredibly freeing to transfer knowledge based on learning or experience. Think about questions people ask you all the time, challenges you've experienced and found solutions to, or even something you just learned. Find a way to transfer that knowledge. Don't overestimate what people do not know or underestimate what you know. Just freely pass on knowledge to make someone's life better. Find a channel that makes you comfortable and do it. By teaching, you gain confidence and, sometimes, inspiration to create.
3. Create with one person in mind: This one is easier. It is easier to create for an audience of one than one million. Sometimes, you can think of someone you love. If you are an artist, you can create for your lover or child. If you are a writer, you can write to your best friend. If you are a marketer, think of your favourite customer and create for that person. For me, I think of one person in my community, and I write to them (sometimes it's you). You can also write to a younger or older version of yourself or create for a version of yourself experiencing a particular challenge that you have a solution to (this one would work brilliantly for founders as well). Don't overthink it. Just make it a gift of love. Creating for one person and giving it to them puts you in a better place, and sometimes that gift for one can turn into a gift for the world. Who knew that the stories that J.R.R. Tolkien was telling his kids would become a global sensation called The Hobbit? Create for one.

If you are experiencing any "block" of any kind or struggling to start creating again, I hope this gives your battery the necessary amount of "recharge" you need to start again. I hope it inspires you to brush your teeth without shame or fear, just love and the desire to make someone's life better.

I hope you start creating again, and when you do, I hope you share it with me.

With love,

Blessing Abeng.

Ps: for my Nigerian audience, I resisted the urge to sing "wake up and jumpstart" somewhere in this article ??