It happened this morning: I woke up with nothing. No ideas, no "what-ifs" spinning their way delightfully through my mind, no beady imperatives at all. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.
That used to terrify me (who am I kidding, the terror is still there, just tempered a bit by many, many years of alternating cycles of barrenness and plenty), but I know that terror only aids and abets The Block, so I am determined not to give into it. I had a cup of coffee, read the comics, and crocheted a bit.
It was still there.
I tried humor. I went outside and took a picture of the block wall that squats heavily in my front yard, always visible through my studio window. It's a good, sturdy, thick, concrete block wall that keeps my neighbor's yard from slipping down into my house. It's a good wall. I hoped it would remind me that blocks can be used for good, or at least give me a laugh and enough lightness to let creativity back in.
Okay, taking a picture of a block wall wasn't as funny as I'd hoped it would be. So I tossed that puppy into Illustrator and used the flare tool on it. (I think I was hoping it would act like a ray gun and break the block in my mind.)
Rationally, I know that The Block will pass. It always has, there is no reason to think that it won't; but today it has sprung up solidly around me, and so has the fear that, this time, I won't be able to break out.
1 comment:
It is such a blessing when you post that you are even prone to a block here and there. As one of your many admirerers I can say you give me hope!
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