Writer’s Block? Take a Walk!
This year for the second time in my life, I took up the challenge by writer Jeff Goins to write 500 words daily for a month. That was a fantastic boost to getting my blog to be more up-and-running. Like just about everyone else, there were and are days when I say: “Time to write!” and just don’t feel inspired. Many fellow writers have written on ways to overcome this so-called block, but I’d like to focus on one of my favorite ways to be inspired: Take a walk!
Walk to Get Away from Distractions
When we’re shut up at home, there are so many distractors. The phone rings, gadgets and social media beep and tempt us, family buzzes around us, and every time we look around, there are reminders of more things to be done. The to-do list may be lying next to our laptop, taunting us, making us wonder whether writing is a waste of valuable time.
Get out. Breathe deep. Turn off that phone. Find a park, a trail, or just stroll around your neighborhood. Go a bit faster if you want to step up the physical benefits. Leave your to-dos and worries behind! The creative juices may flow more freely.
Walk and People-watch
The easiest way for me to get out is to hit the streets around my house. Observing people and their activities can be fun, and I can let my imagination soar. There’s the music on the corner where you know girls are living it up with their morning zumba. The woman who religiously sweeps her walk early each morning. Parents and uniformed kids scurrying to school. The “lechero” or milkman pouring warm milk from large milk cans into pots, in a few homes that still like the old-fashioned ways. Joggers and dog-walkers doing their thing. Tamale vendors calling out as they pedal by. An elderly man who advances slowly in his walker… I congratulate him.
That’s my neighborhood in Mexico; yours may be totally different, but each is a world in itself. Lovers entwined in the park. Construction workers building a new house. A violinist practicing. The sound of church-goers singing a familiar hymn. Think of the stories each person or activity represents.
How can the everyday citizens in your world become part of your stories, or inspire you with their talents, habits, and diversity?
Walk to Connect with Nature
Connecting with nature is known to relax the mind and body. The Japanese call it “forest-bathing” when they do this in a wooded area. It’s slow-paced and has many benefits.
Even if we don’t get to a forest often, the outdoors isn’t far away. Plants breathe out oxygen, which renews our respiratory system. Trees reach toward heaven, twist or stand tall. The shapes and colors of flowers delight the eye. Signs of changing seasons are fascinating to follow from day to day. Distant skies and hills may be full of varied hues and pleasant vistas. A gurgling stream along a country path or a placid pond in a park can speak to our hearts and calm our thoughts.
There are times I can’t help but stop and admire a neighbor’s rose garden. We may find it irresistible to sniff lilacs or other fragrant blooms. Even the scent of the earth after rain or fresh-cut grass are heady potions. The sense of smell is known to be especially potent as it stirs up memories.
Our stroll may lead us to appreciate the animal world as well. Melodious bird calls, the comical antics of squirrels, or the beauty of flighty deer or scurrying rabbits may be among some of the wonders that meet us on our way.
Since the Biblical Psalms of centuries past, thousands of writers have been inspired by nature, often seeing God’s hand in creation’s vast variety. Flora and fauna, the seasons and much more are full of lessons and metaphors as we reflect on them.
Many of my writings have flowed forth after observing nature’s beauty. A recent poem was Spring at Last, written while visiting in Vermont. Then there’s the article Spring in Narnia… Will it Ever Come?, inspired by a walk in Quebec.
Walk to Observe: More than just Nature
Not only nature offers metaphors and lessons. I think of Robert Frost’s poem about a tumbling rock wall and another about a fork in the path that asked for a decision. Buildings too can call out and tell stories, or beg to be included in that mystery or romance you’re working on. A bridge, an aging bench, a statue, a fountain… these and more can draw our attention and bring to mind all types of inspiration.
Walk to Pray or Meditate
Getting outside can be an excellent opportunity to let our minds reach up to God or reflect on deeper things. Some of us find movement helpful for concentration. Perhaps you like to go over Scripture you’ve memorized. Again, leaving behind some of the distractions of home or office is especially helpful for calming the mind and focusing on our inner life.
If you’ve felt stuck in that story or essay you’re writing, this may be just the moment to let your mind wander and consider dozens of possibilities, without the pressure of writing a single word, not yet. Once again, remember that the more relaxed state of a walk can be conducive to creativity.
From a Walk to a Jog
No fair, you say; this was about walking! Let me confess that years ago, when I started making walking more of a habit, I realized that often I wanted to break into a slow jog. That has become more of my routine in recent years. True, it’s not quite as relaxing and meditative, but many of the benefits are similar. I slow down from time to time, or stop to look at or photograph something. A number of my poems and blog posts have arisen from a jog, as well. There’s The Trail, Blind Curve, and Jogging: Lessons for the Spirit, all written while in California.
Put on Your Walking Shoes!
If you find yourself in a rut, just try getting outside for a walk, no strings attached. No need to count steps or kilometers. Discover something new; see the familiar with new eyes. Return feeling refreshed, and take a few minutes to write. Even a description of your walk can be fodder for future work.
And please, my writer friends (or friends-to-be), let me know how walks have inspired you!
