The Pen, the Paper, and the writer's block

The Pen, the Paper, and the writer's block

It was staring at me. No, I was sure it was staring at me. But that's crazy! I thought, it can't stare at me, it's not even alive! I looked down again. There it was looking back at me without eyes, its faint blue line and creamy smoothness beckoning to me. Write on me, it begged, pleading with my sanity. But I couldn't. My mind was full of ideas, of witty remarks and romantic adventures, but I couldn't even form a sentence let alone an entire page. You cannot possibly be a writer then, it taunted, because if you cannot even write a single page then how is it possible for you to write a book with hundreds of pages? No! My mind cried out. I am a writer! I am able to imagine, create and live within the words I have written! Then what will you do? it asked, a whisper in my head. With determination I grabbed my pen loaded with black ink. I will write, I told it, until I no longer have any words left. I put my pen to paper and began, the words coming faster and faster until they flew onto the page. Black crows streaking into the creamy white expanse.

We have all experienced writer's block before. that frustrating feeling when the words and sentences just don't seem to fit together. I have had some major writer's block in my life where I believed I couldn't write. for weeks and weeks I tried so hard to force the words out.
I had so many ideas all jumbled inside my mind I couldn't even think straight. so I stared at the paper, and stared, and then stared some more. After a while I started talking to the paper. My dad thought I had gone crazy when he walked in my room and found me arguing with a sheet of 8 by 10 looseleaf. After a while I introduced my pen into the conversation. Then suddenly I thought, what if i wrote down the conversation I just had between my school supplies? Thus The pen, the paper, and the writer's block was born.
I think that sometimes we all just need a break from ourselves. By doing something I had never done before (talking to inanimate objects) I opened a whole new door in my mind. Maybe this will help you during your frustrating times. I don't know, but if it can help even one person, if even one person reads it and likes it then it's worth it.

Written by Jessica Hebbel

Collaborative Art Project

Alternate Ideas has just completed a collaborative Art Project. Each member of our class completed 2 panels that were then attached to a large piece of poster paper and fixed to the wall.  Starry Night has now become a mural on the classroom wall.  Come check it out - it looks beautiful!