If You Think That You’re Fresh Out of Ideas, You’re Not
Why our experiences, feelings, and life, in general, will always be a source of inspiration
A little while back, I wrote an article here on Medium titled, “Will I Ever Write About a Topic that Hasn’t Been Covered”.
At the time, I was in a phase of constantly comparing myself and my writing to other Writers on Medium, as well as those who are off of Medium — And to be completely honest, I still do that from time to time. As they say, old habits die hard.
However, since writing that article, I’ve come a long way. I’ve become more confident, a lot less self-conscious, and a lot more determined in being a better Writer.
Looking back at past writing is an interesting thing to do — It kind of brings you back to the state that you were in when you were writing it. It makes you feel nostalgic about the past and it reminds you of that particular time in your life.
At the same time, re-reading your words can also feel like you’re reading someone else’s story because you’re not necessarily the exact same person that you were when you wrote it.
After re-reading that article, I can say with confidence that I’m okay with knowing that topics I write about have likely already been written about — I’m okay with it because my words are not the same as others.
Among the many topics that are covered on Medium, one of the most reoccurring subjects that I’ve noticed, particularly on the topic of writing, is the idea of writer’s block.
Writer’s block is arguably one of the most debated topics because some people claim that it’s not a real thing; that it’s all in our heads, while others believe that it’s something they very frequently experience (For me personally, I’d say that I side with the latter).
But, regardless of our beliefs, what we have to know is that even if we’re running low on topics or if we can’t think of anything to write about, it’s going to be okay.
As Writers, we’ll never completely go blank. We’ll never run out of ideas. We’ll never stop feeling the urge to express ourselves through our written words. It’s in our nature.
So, if you think that you’re fresh out of ideas, you’re not.
Our experiences, feelings, and life, in general, will always be a source of inspiration to us.
Even if we’re going through a slower period of writing less frequently, we’ll always bounce back because we’re able to draw inspiration from everything and everyone around us.
We can’t necessarily predict where or when, but it will happen when we least expect it. In all honesty, some of my best ideas came purely from people-watching on the subway (as creepy as that may sound).
If you’re going through a period of writing less, don’t worry — It’ll pass. Don’t stress, keep an open mind, be aware of the things that are happening around us, and you’ll eventually find your inspiration. You just have to be patient.
If you enjoyed this article, check out “Stop Rushing to Publish Everything You Write”
