When Your Mind Goes Blank

There I was, surrounded by books filled with pages of inspiring words. Yet my inspiration was nowhere to be found. I usually feel ready to write a compelling article with a cup of coffee and paper and pen on the table of a bookstore’s café, but this time was different. This time I didn’t come to write an article, but a column—and it would be my very last words published as a staff writer for my college newspaper.

After hours of unproductivity, the pressure I felt to produce a perfect farewell piece rose exponentially. I was getting dangerously close to my editor’s deadline and I still hadn’t written one word.

I needed a break to rein in my wandering thoughts, so I walked around the bookstore for a few minutes. That’s when this thought came to me: ask for God’s help.

I had been so self-absorbed with trying to figure out what I should write that I forgot to pray for what God wanted me to convey in my column. After praying, I felt reenergized to write. The words started flowing like a stream from my soul to my notepad. It turned out to be my most memorable piece for the periodical. But even more memorable was how God took me from staring anxiously at a blank piece of paper to confidently completing my best work as a college writer.

 

Tips to Refresh

Here are some things to remember when you have writer’s block or when you don’t know what to say to someone:

• Don’t try to be a superhero. We’re our own worst enemies when we’re fixated on finding what we think are the perfect words—and we forget that it’s not about us. Instead, pray for the words that God wants you to tell your reader or listener (see 1 Peter 4:11). 
• Avoid distractions. We must be good listeners. When we give people our full attention, we’ll know what to share as we prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit. So don’t allow anything, including your phone, to pull you away from vital communication with God and others.
• Trust God for the results. What you write or speak may be totally different than what you had planned. That’s okay! The important thing is knowing you’ve written or spoken what God has put into your heart to share in that moment.

Stay in the secret place of your heavenly Father and continue to feed on His Word. Inspiration will always come, no matter how bad your writer’s block gets or how tongue-tied you might feel.

AARON CARUSO is a freelance writer, a singer-songwriter, and a sports enthusiast. His passion is to inspire and encourage others to live the more abundant life in Christ.