Lately, I've been at a loss for words.
Not at a loss for words in the oral sense of the phrase, but more-so in the written sense. It's a feeling that makes my skin crawl because as a writer, I feel like I should always have something to say...that I need to have something to say.
I feel as if having nothing to say is a bad thing. I know what I'm capable of as a writer and what it feels like to have my abilities recognized when I've successfully executed another piece of writing that I'm proud of. But, that's the thing, the content I've been writing lately is content that I'm not proud of. I've been filling my time writing pieces that lack substance and are mindless reads that are getting recognized not for my talent, but for relatability, and that feels wrong and unnatural.
Surely it's something that any writer faces from time to time in their career. No matter what we write, who we write for, or what audience we're putting our work in front of, we're bound to hit bumps in the metaphorical road of our careers that throws us into these ruts that seem nearly impossible to get out of.
It's a funny thing to feel like your wings are too big for the box you've found yourself stuck in. The box, I suppose you could say, is comfortable. What I publish with Odyssey, particularly what I've recently published with Odyssey, are pieces that I know will likely find themselves at home in the minds of millennials across the country because of their relatability is where my writing has resided. I guess that's the thing about being at a loss for words. It's not as if I'm unable to speak what's on my mind, but rather that I've begun to crave the simplicity of creating a mindless read that I'm afraid to challenge myself to escape the box that's closing in on me.
For now, I'll continue to stare at my word document, the flashing cursor reminding me of the thousands of words I've yet to write, the stories I've yet to tell, and the lives I've yet to impact through my writing. I have faith that I'll find myself back on my writing track, I know that I'm bound to, it'll just take a little bit of discomfort and a lot of effort to get there.
