Inspired yet? How to overcome writer's block.
It has been almost an entire month sine my last blog post. I've sat in front of this computer screen to a blank page and wondered "what will I write about today?" The outcome has been, sadly, nothing. I have been busy working with a few clients, but this is my business so I need to attend to it with some consistency, right?
And, that's the thing. I recently transitioned to being my own boss and while it is an amazing feeling not to have to answer to anyone else (except my clients, of course), I realize there are some learning curves ahead. When you are a freelancer, the only person you have to depend on is yourself. If I do not secure clients, I will not work. It is as simple as that.
You might think that the prospect of having no money to my name would be the biggest motivating factor in promoting myself and keeping up with my blog. However, I reasoned away my writer's block by telling myself that I did not get into freelance copywriting to chase money, but to chase my dream.
That sounds nice, but I cannot eat my dreams. Therefore, I had to come up with a few simple ways to motivate myself over the hump and tackle my writer's block head-on.
The first thing I did was realize that if I continued to delay writing until I felt inspired, then I would write very seldomly. Writing for work is not the same thing as writing as a hobby. Even when I do not feel like writing, I still need to put the time in to write for my business site in order to achieve success.
Next, I challenged myself to read more. As a writer, I take inspiration from everything around me. When I'm planted in front of a computer screen doing my freelance work from my kitchen table, it is sometimes difficult to be inspired. However, when I read, even if it is just an article on my LinkedIn newsfeed, I feel inspired. I get the energy I need to sit down and write. When I am balancing my client's work against my own site, I have a natural tendency to spend more time making sure my client's work is pristine. My site takes a back seat. Reading has a way of reminding me of why I do this and why it is necessary to keep my own blog in top shape.
I finally started to see my blog (and website) as my brand. How can a potential client get a glimpse of my best work if I do not have it on my site? I have a portfolio, but I believe I need something more to show clients that I am passionate about my work; and I am the right person to write for their business. My website and this blog is that something. Keeping my blog up-to-date is one way to stay ahead of the curve and ensure I do not miss business opportunities due to poor marketing strategies.
Those three simple things have caused me to view my business differently. As a result, I am here writing for my website for the first time in a month. It feels great to take care of my brand and I cannot wait to see how this blog grows in the coming months.
Having a bit of writer's block yourself? Tell me what you did to overcome your rut. Comment below with what prompted you to put the pen to the paper (or fingers to the keyboard) to get writing again.
