It's that time again, time to submit my articles to the editors so they can look at it and make sure there are no errors. I'm two or three weeks into Winter Break, and with that comes a very strong sense of fatigue and a lack of inspiration. As a writer, getting writer's block is not uncommon. I'm an English major and with almost every paper I have to write, I develop some sense of writer's block, but not knowing what to write is different from not being motivated and not being inspired. I have been working for around three weeks straight, had doctors appointments, and, by this point, I don't want to do this. I don't want to take the hour to write this 500-word article, but I'm going to.
Every writer has days when they are uninspired and unmotivated -- and as a writer, you have to learn to power through it. It is easy to say that you aren't going to do it and to just say, "I'll get them next time." But in reality, in order to grow as a writer, it is important to work through the dry spells. Joining Odyssey and having the responsibility of writing every week has really made me a better writer in a lot of ways. It has allowed me to come out of my comfort zone and to enjoy what I'm writing about. It's not like writing for a class, and it's not writing fiction. It's just writing. During the times that I'm uninspired and unmotivated, I'm reminded of why I write. I am reminded of why I choose to express myself in the ways that I do. I write for this platform to prepare me for when I write in the future. I want to make contributions to society via my writing, and my weekly articles help me practice for when that time comes.
Going through a period of not being inspired has also reminded me that inspiration comes from within. I was struggling with ideas to write about and I asked my boyfriend for suggestions. He had quite a few good ideas that I would have loved to write about, but it wasn't until I got the idea to write about being uninspired that I really wanted to do it. Inspiration hits you when you open yourself up to it, I find.
I know that there are writers out there who are racking their brain to finish the next chapter in their book, and though I'm not quite there yet, I will be someday. Until then, I will write for Odyssey and I will submit articles every week. I will power through writer's block, being unmotivated, and being uninspired.
