Dealing with Artistic Dryness
It’s been almost a month since I posted anything, and over two months since I’ve written anything beyond the blog and scripts for a grief podcast I host. I would like to blame my schedule and the growing needs of my private therapy practice, but truth be told, the real reason is artistic dryness.
Have you ever experienced this? To me, artistic dryness is not writer’s block. I have plenty of ideas so that isn’t the issue. What is plaguing me is the lack of motivation and desire to write as well as the lack of enjoyment in the art and process of writing itself.
I know I am burned out, which has contributed to this sense of dryness. This development hasn’t surprised me in the least considering how my life has been lately. All my energy has gone to building my practice and juggling all my other responsibilities as a wife, parent and caregiver. That means I have little left in the tank for the emotional and mental energy writing requires.
What doesn’t help matters is I feel pressure to do all the writerly things I “should” be doing like promoting my current and next books, connecting with others in the writing space and planning future projects. I see these authors on all the social media platforms doing what they do, and I feel a mixture of happiness for them, jealousy and inadequacy.
Trust me, I have “therapized” myself on this and I know changes are in order. Yet, I still search for a solution. Maybe the way through is to take a page from the notebook of the great saints who have experienced what Christians call spiritual dryness. St. Teresa of Calcutta talked about this at length. For much of her life, she claimed not to feel the presence of God nor hear his voice, yet she continued praying and doing what she believed God had called her to do, which was to serve the poorest of the poor. So for her, perseverance was the answer.
However, as much as I admire St. Teresa, I do not believe that perseverance is the answer, at least not for me currently. I have pushed through many times similar to this one thinking that plowing through the obstacle would serve me, and it did not. It often led to higher levels of stress, anxiety and ultimately depression.
So what would help? Well, if you can’t already tell, I am still trying to figure this out. Lightening my load may help, as would rearranging my schedule so I have more down time. I am in the process of goalsetting for 2024, so the timing for this introspection is, well, timely.
If you have experienced artistic dryness or something similar, what has helped you? I would love to know! Feel free to send an email to lori@loriapeterswriter.com.
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A brief update on my projects….
· My book, Writing Through Your Grief, will probably not be released until next year. I will post more details as I get them. As disappointed as I am about this, I believe this will work out better for me, considering this funk I’m in.
· I am thinking about offering writing classes and coaching starting next year. I have joined a wellness platform called WellMeRight that will help me accomplish this. More details to come.
Write & Rise, my friends!
