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Banishing the Bogeyman: A Writer's Visualization
© M. Williams
Jan 1, 2001
It happened again this week. As I sat at my keyboard, fresh coffee beside me, fingers poised to tap out the first paragraph of another article, the monster awoke. It raised its ugly head, crept out of the depths and reached out to coil its icy fingers around my cerebrum. My article evaporated. Ideas vanished. Whole paragraphs faded into nothing. Inspiration drained away at its touch. The writer's nemesis, the dreaded block, was choking the life out of my muse.
If this scene feels all to familiar, chances are you already know what comes next. Anyone who has ever experienced writer's block has felt that mind-numbing sense of panic that sets in when the monster strikes, especially if there's a deadline around the corner. If you write for a living, missing a deadline could mean a loss of both immediate income and future sales, and it certainly doesn't add any luster to your professional image. The potential for disaster is enough to stop the creative process dead in its tracks, and it seems that the more you struggle to put words on the screen, the larger the monster becomes. So how do you banish the bogeyman? Whether it's deadline pressure or an unrelated stress that wakens the beast, creative visualization can be a powerful weapon in the battle to regain your focus. The following three-step technique relaxes both body and mind and allows energy to be directed away from that endlessly blank page and channeled toward empowering the besieged muse. Step 1 - Be Still
Staring at a blank screen doesn't accomplish anything. In order to regain your focus you must relax. Stop struggling. The monster thrives on stress. To begin, get away from your computer and lie down, or move to another chair. Close your eyes for a few moments, and do nothing. Just be still. Don't think. Let your mind go blank. As thoughts come up, push them gently away until your mind is free of clutter. Allow your body to relax into your chair or bed. You may find that soft background music helps the relaxation process. Step 2 - Breathe
As your mind quiets, focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply through the nose and feel the movements of your body as the breath comes and goes. Now, shift your focus to your feet. As you breathe in, feel the breath flowing down your body into your toes. As you exhale, release any muscular tension in the area and feel the breath moving up through your body, carrying all tension with it to be released through your nostrils. Work your way up your body, pausing to breathe into each part and release the pent-up tension of each muscle. By the time you complete this exercise, you will be in a state of deep relaxation. You should not be sleeping, but relaxed and aware.
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The copyright of the article Banishing the Bogeyman: A Writer's Visualization in New Age is owned by M. Williams. Permission to republish Banishing the Bogeyman: A Writer's Visualization in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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