Creative Motivation

“At what point does one run out of words? Or, when do words cease to carry a fascination, and instead only bring a dull dread? And are my words simply for myself or are they for you? Who is it that I am writing for?”

Excellent post and these questions resonate with me.

I have frequently run out of words, lately. Part of me asks “why bother?” Facts and opinions seem to blend together, and sharing either these days often result in argument and silent judgement of those in the audience who actually choose to participate.

I follow several blogs – most of which are the products of extremely talented writers with a passion for their topic of choice. As I browse their submissions, however, I note the empty comment section and sparse “likes” and recognize a level of shared frustration: like me, they see the hits on their blog, and the articles read… but very little feedback. I’ve compared this to a musician on stage in a crowded hall – the piece is played with all the imaginable emotion, and as flawlessly as their skill level permits, but there final note is met with silence and eyeballs. Nothing. No applause, no boos and hisses… just echoes and silence.

Now, do not take this as a solicitation for attention or pity. Going back to Angry Staff Officer’s post, this is about writer’s block and motivation.

For me, my fascination with writing is not really about the feedback – as I have said before, I write primarily for the benefit of posterity. There is a certain level of dread in knowing that these words will outlive me, either on this blog or in some other form of digital archive, but this is what usually defeats my own writer’s block… the idea that I am capturing my thoughts right now for future review and contemplation. In going back to a lot of my “Posts From the Past,” I marvel that I had recorded details that would have been otherwise forgotten. These submissions also serve the same purpose as tree rings in that they provide evidence of the external environment as the organism develops and matures. We can go from one day to the next fat, dumb, and happy without acknowledging these intellectual and emotional building blocks, but for some of us, these elements of our progress are classified as “neat enough” to put down on paper on on a screen for the present audience and later self-scrutiny.