Writer’s block. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “the problem of not being able to think of something to write about or not being able to finish writing a story, poem, etc.” A more reliable source, Urban Dictionary, defines writer’s block as “when a writer runs out of bullshit to use in their writings.” Ask any writer or college student and they will say writer’s block is the kiss of death to any written work.
The reason why writer’s block is so deadly is because we view it as such a negative thing. We look at difficulty in coming up with original ideas and unable to produce a work for extended periods of time as a concern. In actuality, writer’s block is a positive thing. Without writer’s block one would not have time to step back and gain new inspiration, stimulate creativity and view their piece as a whole.
As one might have guessed, I am suffering from writer’s block. It is not as if events have stopped happening within the world or that I have less aspiration for giving my opinion. The problem has simply happened. Desperate for a cure, I looked to WebMD to find treatment for this disease. While I found results for writer’s cramp and blogarrhea (you don’t even want to know), there was no such thing as this so-called writer’s block we view as a plague.
Continuing my Internet search I googled “advantages of writer’s block.” No results. Then I googled “writer’s block benefits.” Again, no results. I finally cut straight to the point and searched “is there anything good about writer’s block?” I was not surprised when my search garnered no results.
Writer’s block is viewed so negatively within our society and academic universe because it connects to the thought of “I will never write again.” When one has writer’s block they view themselves as a failure for not coming up with ideas quick enough. I think the main issue with writer’s block is the idea of perfectionism. As college students, we strive for the perfect paper, essay or story. We hope by staring at a blank screen, the perfect words will magically appear. While I’m not saying that you should strive for average, what I am saying is that society’s push for perfectionism has led to students scrapping work deemed “not good enough.”
Since there are no articles, journals or blogposts on the advantages of writer’s block, I will give my opinion on what I believe to be the benefits of writer’s block. Instead of closing yourself within your room and fuming at the thought of your lack of creativity, allow writer’s block to offer you a reasonable excuse to daydream, take a break and let your mind wander.
Writer’s block isn’t fun; it makes it easy to get caught up by the fear that we just aren’t good enough. The “disease” feeds the deepest insecurity in ourselves and encourages us to believe we must try harder. We hold ourselves to an impossible standard of perfection. As college students, our lives break down in pursuit of the perfect assignment and our overall search of becoming the perfect student.
What we really need to do at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is step back andh embrace imperfections. Embrace writer’s block and the opportunity to gain more inspiration from the world around us. And with that, I think my writer’s block is cured and I have a topic for next week’s article.
Lilly is a freshman opinion columnist for The Daily Cardinal. Tell us how you feel and please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
