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6 silly ways to beat writer's block

This is a post from a member of the Freelancers Union community. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise, your story, or some advice you think will help a fellow freelancer out, feel free to send your blog post to us here.

Even the best writers suffer from that mental block that traps brilliant ideas behind the dams of their minds.

When we are stuck staring at a blank page, there are many ways to open up our minds such as going for a walk or exercising, but let’s be honest, these methods are excessively overdone and yawn boring!

Did Hans Christian Anderson, Ernest Hemingway, or Joseph Pulitzer get over their writer’s block by reading a book or listening to music? Absolutely not!

The best writers go above and beyond to push their creative flow, and the crazier the activity, the better their ideas became.

So without further adieu, here are 6 ways to defeat writer’s block and get your brain juices pumping once again.

1. Have a stunt driver take you for a spin.

There is nothing quite like an adrenaline rush to get your blood and brain pumping!

Contact your professional driving neighbor or go online to find a stunt driver club in or near your community!

Take a seat in the back of the car, buckle up, and enjoy the ride!

Feeling the wind in your hair and seeing your life flash before your eyes is a surefire way to find inspiration for your writing.

Just tip in some gas money and I’m sure your stunt driver won’t mind taking you for a little ride.

2. Jump in the pool and pretend to be your favorite sea creature.

How do you think Hans Christian Anderson gained inspiration for his famed tale The Little Mermaid? Great ideas are all about innovation, people!

If mimicking a mermaid sounds silly to you, everybody loves dolphins and they’re fairly easy to imitate.

Even acting like other fish such as sharks, jellyfish, and octopuses is a great way to open your imagination and allow ideas to flow as freely as ocean waves.

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3. Break into song and dance in a public place.

Everybody knows our favorite childhood cartoon characters are full of great ideas, but where do these brilliant epiphanies come from?

Their willingness to sing and dance about their lives as if nobody were watching!

Go to the grocery store and start a melodious chorus about the cereal you are buying.

Frolic through the park and chirrup about what a lovely day it is, what you ate for breakfast, or even the fact that you are having writer’s block!

The amount of creativity and talent this requires gives you a chance to clean the clog in your mind.

4. Enjoy a nice conversation with your pet.

Animals are surprisingly good listeners, so maybe a good pet-talk (instead of pep-talk! Get it?) with your beastly companion is a great way to relieve your creative constipation.

Not only is it an opportunity to vent and open the gates to your innermost feelings, but it also presents a chance for your pet to come clean about eating the toilet paper while you were out or burying the TV remote in the backyard.

5. Think outside the box!

As ridiculous and crazy as these writer’s block-relieving ideas are, they are also different and explore territory the average person does not visit every day.

You definitely don't have to take a ride with a stunt driver or belt out a ballad about your day, but when writer’s block has your written spectacles on hold, try finding an activity that is out of the ordinary every once in awhile.

Put the book down and visit your local antique store (these shops are always full of interesting things that spark my thought process into action), take a mini road-trip with your family, or cook something you’ve never tried before.

Whatever it may be, explore options that are a little different and you may find yourself discovering ideas you never would have thought of before.

6. ….

Well, I’m completely out of ideas. Who else develops writer’s block while writing a blog about writer’s block?

Please excuse me while I jump into my pool and try to connect with my inner Flipper.

I am a young writing entrepreneur with the goal of using my talents to help local small businesses and agencies. I am also a lover of traveling, fine art, reading, and all things Disney!