It’s been too long, unbelievably eight months too long, since I last blogged about anything. Where did the time slip away to? How is it possible that in so many weeks and months I couldn’t sit my arse down at a computer and write something, anything??

Well, I recently read this book that pretty much told me why: Resistance; the main block towards all human creativity. Everyone has it, some in bucket-loads, some in little pockets, and we’re all either better or worse equipped to deal with it. For me and my writing, it tends to be a pretty monumental struggle. The mere thought of settling down to do it often fills me with dread and loathing (which is kinda bizzarre given the satisfaction I always get from it in the end).

But there it is; Resistance kept my writing endeavours at bay most of my life and despite breaking through that wall during 2015, it struck me again this year. Now why we suffer immensely with Resistance is an in-depth topic that I won’t even attempt in this little blog. For an excellent read on the subject, I highly recommend “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. But as for how to manage Resistance, well that’s really quite simple.

Just do it.

No I’m not endorsing a sports company. I’m just saying the plain and honest truth that has hit me square on the head over and over again throughout my short life every single time I’ve tackled anything creative or challenging or daunting (e.g. writing my book, doing my morning yoga or starting a school homework assignment). A little dose of healthy discipline is what’s required. No excuses. No distractions. And most of all no thinking about it.

Just do it.

It definitely helps if you create a little space in your home which you can dedicate to your art. If your home is unsuitable however you can always find a studio to rent, a room in a friend’s house to use, a nice cafe or the local library. I find it’s helpful to have a sense of physically going somewhere as that already gets the mind motivated and focussed. No matter where you decide on however, even if it’s just curling up on your bed, the important thing to remember is always the same.

Just do it.

You might get to your newly found, newly decorated, quite perfect studio and yet find that just about anything else is more appealing to you right now than getting stuck in. Well, don’t even waste one precious second debating whether you should clean out that messy drawer that’s been bugging you for months or if you should reply to your best friend’s text or whatever other little escape-route your mind tries to come up with.

Just do it.

And if you find that super-gluing your bum to your chair has actually worked and low and behold, you have actually succeeded in “just doing it!” you may come up against a new dilemma, one perhaps worse than Resistance: an excruciating lack of inspiration, a paralysing inability to create. You begin and yet after four paragraphs you realize the content is so flat it’s deader than a squished insect on your car bumper. So you try another avenue, then another one and another one. And they all come up blank. Well guess what – it doesn’t matter.

Just do it!

Keep on keeping on no matter how much you want to tear your hair out or stab yourself in the eye. Because here’s the thing with creativity: the divine inspiration that allows beauty and awesomeness to be revealed by us humans does not always show her head willingly. But she’s open to persistant persuasion and that’s the key. You just keep on writing, or painting, or sculpting, or composing. Eventually, at some point, she’ll make her appearance and you’ll find your connection to the life and soul of your work.

So just do it! But no matter what, whether you create beauty or shite, whether you want to or not, whether Divine Inspiration graces you or leaves you seemingly destitute, whether you get paid for it or do it without recompense – there’s still, always, only one sweet little rule to follow:

JUST DO IT!

Peace and love,

Ellie