Why is it so freaking hard to write for ourselves?

I was sitting at my computer, agonising over an article for an Intelligent Ink blog when I realised that this wasn’t the first time I’d been sitting here agonising. The last time I struggled this much was the last time I tried to write for us.

But why on earth is it so hard?

I write every day. I couldn’t start to count how many millions of words have poured out of my fingertips and onto the page. I’ve worked with hundreds of incredible businesses to help them turn all of their amazing ideas, stories, and experience into great content. I don’t struggle to write. I’ve never had writer’s block when working on client content, and yet when it comes time to writing our own content I often stare at the screen wondering what the hell I’m going to put on the page.

It’s not about a lack of ideas – we come up with hundreds of content ideas and could literally talk all day about why content needs to be better and how to make it better. Get me started on why the people who should be creating the content are often not the ones making it and you’ll never hear the end. Our internal book brainstorming sessions are full of excitement, passion, and value and yet when it comes time to put pen to page (well, fingers to keyboard)....Nada.

So why do I find it so hard to write as myself and for the business I’m so passionate about?

Perhaps it harks back to my days at school, when I could give an epic speech or write a fantastic essay in no time at all – but coming up with the topic for either would take up most of the time and make me immensely stressed out.

Perhaps it’s something to do with the fact that I don’t have the starting point of all the questions I’ve asked clients – something that could be solved by getting one of our team to ask me questions instead.

Perhaps it’s the pressure of knowing that other people are looking at our content as an example of what we’re capable of doing, so I’m overthinking everything this one article needs to do. 

Or perhaps it’s a little bit of imposter syndrome. Even after seven years of doing this (and despite my weirdly high self-confidence) it can still sometimes feel like I’m a kid trying to make my way in the big ol’ world. And even though I know that many of our clients still feel that way even after 15, 20, or even 30 years in business, it can still be hard to push past the fear that no-one will care what we have to say to actually write something. 

So I’d love to know – does anything hold you back from doing for yourself what you help other people do so well? Are you the (metaphorical) builder with the unfinished house? What helps you get over those obstacles to walk the walk and not just talk the talk?