First of all, I am NOT a psychologist; nor am I a rocket scientist; nor am I a Monday Morning Quarterback...you know...those people who think they know everything...mostly on Monday morning.  If you listen to these people, you will probably be a Monday "Mourning" quarterback. 

For all our friends and neighbors around the world, who may not be familiar with term, I will describe it for them;

writer's block; (definition);  usually a temporary condition in which a writer finds it imposible to proceed with the writing of a novel, play or some other work;

When I was doing research for this project, I came across a ten point plan for dealing with writer's block...and then I came across a 90 point plan for dealing with writer's block...I discarded all of them.  The writer (or anyone else) do not need all the Monday Morning Quarterbacking in your life.  Anyone dealing with writer's block or creative block (call it what you want), only needs a basic three or four rules to go by to avoid writer's block.

Website name; humordoctormd;
My website is 12 years now, and I think it's one of the best websites on the Internet, in the beginning category, but the reader will be the final judge...

I'm talking from experience here, because I've been in the creative business for over 40 years, and I think I can guide you in the right direction with a few points shown below;

1) Get rid of the Monday Morning Quarterbacks (experts) in your life.  Experts are a dime a dozen.  These so-called experts will drown you with their expertise!  Most of these so-called experts try to show their intelligence (or lack of it), by drowning you with all those 40 and 50 dollar words that nobody understands.  Get rid of them, and carve out your own set of guidelines for yourself.  EVERYBODY'S an EXPERT these days...the world is filled with EXPERTS; 

2)  Keep It Simple, STUPID;  I coached a Little League baseball team many years ago.  Since I had never done it before, I wondered on my approach to the game and how I would handle the kids, age 9 thru 12.  I decided on simplicity would be the best.  Some of these kids didn't even know which hand to put the glove.  There was another team in the League, who practiced next to us.  The father's were quite technical with the kids, and I wondered how can somebody make the game of baseball so complicated?. 

The kids on the other didn't know if they were coming or going, and it all showed at the season.  This confused team only won 2 games, while losing 18 games.  On the other hand, and by keeping the game simple, we won 18 games and only lost 2.  The following year, we had the same record for an overall record of 36 wins and only 4 losses.  Simplicity paid off for us!  If you make your projects so complicated, that you spin yourself into a web you can't get out of...you'll get blocked, and you will never accomplishe much of anything. 

3) Work on 2-3 pieces at one time;  In my own case, I work on 2=3 projects at one time...so I never have the opportunity to get blocked.  If I have trouble with one piece...I go to the next piece...and, if I hae trouble with that piece...I go to the #3 piece.  That way, I'm always moving and creating and solving problems with my work.  I've done this for over 40 years, so I guess it is working for me. 

4) Early bird gets the worm; Take a look at the game show Jeapardy.  You would think that the winner on the show, would be the one with the most knowledge.  NOT TRUE.  A person wins at Jeapardy because he or she is faster than the other contestant.  The winners are usually faster on the clicker than the other...and, therefore the winner.  All of us are getting ideas around the clock...even while we are sleeping.  So, why don't you get ideas and you think you are blocked?  Because you are not fast enough, or not PREPARED to get ideas while you're asleep when you get plenty of ideas...you are not fast enough...just like the slow contestant.  Even if you take a nap...you're getting ideas...so, be prepared to capture them by having a clip-board nearby. 

I always carry a small spiral notebook with me, to get ideas.  At night, I have a clip-board placed on the nightstand, so when I get an idea in the middle of the night, I am ready to turn on the light, and jot down one or two words to capture the idea.  War and Peace and the Bible have already been written, so one or two words will do.  Ideas come and go in a flash...and what are your doing all this time?  z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z you're sleeping on the job.  So, you call your problem that you've been blocked...when, in fact, you've just been sleeping on the job, and rarely ever capture an idea...

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There you have it...FOUR easy rules that you can remember and do for yourself...good luck...see ya...

WORK IN PROGRESS...

AUGUST, 2013