Many of us usually complain of not being able to write. There is the belief of not being creative enough. But let me tell you something from the pearls of the epic Mahabharata:

As long as there is breath of life, there is hope in the heart. Hope tells the breath of life:
“Learn to be patient. You may get pearls without asking. But alms are not got for the asking.”

Linking the above paragraph in bold to two main modes of thinking, I am trying to explain how writers’ block can be prevented. Basically, there are the focused and diffuse modes of thinking. The focused mode is about the intense mode of concentration whereas the diffuse mode is more of a relaxed mode of thinking where the flow of ideas is freer. Furthermore, I would like to take the analogy of a car with two people. At any point of time, there can be ONLY ONE driver and the other one shall be a PASSIVE passenger. Along the same lines, one can very well shift from the focused mode to the diffuse mode of thinking but there cannot be two drivers at the same time.

Applying this now to writing, one should not let the monitor (censor mind or editor mind i.e. the focused mode) affect the diffuse mode of thinking (higher freedom in the flow of ideas). The advice is to acknowledge the presence of that censor voice and consciously tell it to shut up and have a conversation later on when it’s time for editing. Never edit while you are writing. Yes, it may appear as terrible in the beginning but you better continue writing. The reason is that you have to go through some discomfort before finding better worlds to explore and get better ideas. After some time, writing shall become natural and second to you.

Invest in a diary and get to writing. Writing or as some may put it; journaling helps a great deal in fighting through mental blocks and build stronger neural frameworks/structures. Use spaced repetition over repetition at only one point in time to get better results. By spaced repetition, I mean it’s better to repeat a new idea over several days than trying to master it in a single day for it to seep into our long-term memory.

Another tip would be to go for a walk or do something really pleasant to get into that diffuse mode of thinking. Discover another side of you and tap into unfettered facets of yours. Then, you can get back to the focused mode for editing purposes to write better manuscripts.

NOW START WRITING…

Yours In JCI Spirit

Veerendra Kooshna

2015 JCI Curepipe Local Treasurer